Burning Up a Sun
by Lena86
Summary: Set in the closing moments of The End of Time and moves on from there. Ten/Rose Please R&R.
1. The End of Time

He threw his coat over the support strut, not looking to see if it made it. He'd probably never wear it again.

He moved around the console room, looking, really looking for the first time in a long time, as he started the dematerialisation sequence. He'd seen Rose. That hurt, almost as much as the radiation that was slowly killing him. Not slowly. Very quickly now.

Rose. What he most wanted to do now was go and find her room. Curl up on her bed like he hadn't when he left her on Bad Wolf Bay. Either time. He knew the TARDIS had kept her room as she left it. A mess. Every now and then he'd found himself confronted by her door, but he'd never gone in.

But he couldn't. Not now. Not ever probably. He could feel the radiation building and behind it, the regeneration energy burned. Too hot. Was it this hot last time?

'I don't wanna go.' Because he would be gone, this time. Utterly changed. No Rose to stabilise him, to remind him how much he loved her every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every… well… always. But that was a good thing, wasn't it? No pain at her absence. No ridiculous jealousy of himself- his human self - standing there in Bad Wolf Bay kissing her. Of course, he might lose his hair – and it _is_ great hair – but at least the pain will stop. The everyday, gnawing pain that ate away at him day by day.

He screamed as the regeneration energy ripped through him. Suddenly aware of nothing around him. Only the pain and the brilliance.

Then it stopped. He staggered forward, dropping to the deck. Funny, his hands looked the same. And he still _hurts_. He closed his eyes, needing a moment in his head before he faded and was replaced. Hands. Not his, not those in front of him, someone else's, pulling him around so he was laying on the deck, his head on something soft.

'You know, you don't half make a mess.'

He kept his eyes shut and sighed. 'Madness does tend to make one neglect the housework.' He felt the body he was resting against shake with silent laughter. 'Then you start to hallucinate and all hell breaks loose.'

'You're not hallucinating. Open your eyes, Doctor.'

Reluctantly, he complied. The first thing he saw was the TARDIS, frozen in the process of its own destruction. He'd been ripping the TARDIS apart in the middle of the vortex. Good move, that. Smart. Unwillingly he allowed his gaze to focus on the person holding him, knowing what his – judging by the evidence, quite cracked – mind was about to show him.

He was lying on the floor, in the TARDIS, with his head in Rose Tyler's lap.

'Hello,' she said, smiling through the tears that were streaking down her face. In the reflected light of the TARDIS exploding, her tears looked golden.

'Hello,' he replied, closing his eyes again.

'So… I was sleeping, yeah? And suddenly I wake up with this memory of this bloke talking to me outside our block of flats…'

'January 1st, 2005,' he murmured.

'He said I was gonna have a great year…' she said. He could feel wetness on his forehead and what was presumably her sleeve as she wiped it away. 'Sorry,' she murmured. Her tears then. She was crying. Always crying for him.

'So there's suddenly had this full grown memory, right? Of a strange man who'd had a bit too much to drink. Except he wasn't strange, not really… was he, Doctor?'

'He was me.'

'He was you,' she confirms. 'And I _knew_,' she says, her voice a whisper, 'I knew. So I had to come, even though you left me behind. Again.'

'You know – it's bad form for an hallucination to pick on the hallucinatee.'

'What happened to Donna? Once you were back on the TARDIS?'

As always, his treacherous brain moved too quickly. Taking the sketchy information he'd been given and reaching the horrible conclusion. 'Ohhh… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

'Yeah,' she said dryly. He could feel her pulling away, mentally, becoming harder. 'He said that too. As he died. Couldn't hold on to it all, see. Imagine trying to contain every memory, every thought, every action from almost a thousand years of life in a body with a brain that only uses ten per cent of its capacity and that only has one heart. Somethin' had to give.'

'But he could have forgotten, could have-' he broke off as she maneuvered him into a sitting position and looked at him, a harsh light in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. Never directed at him, in any case.

She got to her feet and walked over to the console; careful to dodge a piece of it that was midway through exploding. Then she turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest and speaking in a soft voice, as though genuinely curious. 'Could you? Everything you've seen and done, everywhere you've been, everything you've felt - could you forget all of that?'

He looked away, desperate not to see that look in her eyes, even if she _was_ just a hallucination.

'Thought not. Stand up.'

As though utterly controlled by her voice, he pulled himself to his feet, wincing at the pain that rolled through him in waves. Her eyes swept over him, starting at his hair, then moving down his body, then back up to his eyes. Her expression was still cold. 'Doctor,' she said softly, 'what have you done?'

'You're really here,' he replied, unable to meet her gaze, 'aren't you?'

'I had to come. I had to offer you this, even though you don't-' she broke off, then continued, 'I guess I owe you somethin' for all this.' She swept an arm out around her.

'Rose,' he said softly, finally allowing himself to say her name out loud. Even to his own ears it sounded like a plea for absolution. Her eyes widened slightly at that, apparently she hadn't missed the fact that he'd not called her by name. He took a breath, 'I'm regenerating,' he said bluntly, 'And this time there's no way to stop it. Nothing we can do.'

'Your handy spare hand,' she murmured. She met his eyes again, 'You look so tired.' He looked down at his feet, feeling another wave of pain cresting in his stomach. 'When did you stop looking around you, Doctor? When did you stop loving it all?' she asked, and he could hear the tears in her voice. 'We're frozen in time and the Time Lord with the vastly superior intellect and the biggest gob in the universe hasn't said anything. Probably 'cos you thought it was a hallucination, but still…'

All too late, the Doctor suddenly realised that the pace by which he measured his life, his position, his very existence, had gone. There was no time. He felt as though his breath had been knocked out of him. 'No… that's not right. You can't… You can't possibly…'

'I came here to offer you a choice,' she said and her voice sounded… doubled, somehow, as though two people were speaking at once, 'I wasn't even sure up until just now that I had anything to offer you, but I've got this. I can make this stop.' She whispered. He hadn't noticed until right then that she'd been walking towards him, but now she was standing just inches away from him and he couldn't look away. He saw her then, his Rose, peeking out at him from behind the Bad Wolf, the monstrous entity that could cross dimensions and stop time. Briefly he wondered what she was seeing, right now, when she looked at him. 'You were so much better than this, before. So much more. I've seen what you've done. How much you've hurt. The mistakes you've been making…'

'Stop it,' he breathed, his eyes falling closed.

He felt her tuck her fingers under his chin and lift it slightly, gently indicating that he should be looking at her. So he did. He felt like he could drown in her, right then. Standing there and just so… _Rose_. All pink and yellow. Looking at him like she's not examining his soul anymore, like she already knows everything and it doesn't matter. The way she always used to look at him.

'You can't stop this,' he said.

She snorted her amusement at that and he couldn't help but feel warmth for her humanity in the face of everything that was happening. 'I can stop time, Doctor. I can cross dimensions. I've come looking for you and found you twice and you never even thought about it.' He stared at her blankly, and wished he could blame the pain he was in for his apparent denseness. 'I've stopped time in the TARDIS for how long now?' she asked him.

His brain raced to calculate the last time he'd felt time passing and couldn't. He resorted to counting his heart rate backwards, then realised that was unreliable, this close to a regeneration. So he counted hers instead. Her heartbeat which hadn't picked up the whole time she'd been here. 'Seven minutes, forty three seconds.'

She nodded. 'So what do you want?' she asked, 'Do you want this,' she waved a hand around the console room to illustrate her point, 'or do you want to stop it?'

'Just stop it?' He asked, because regardless of how he felt about changing he didn't think he could survive in this world without time much longer. He thought this is what it must feel like to be dead.

'Don't be thick,' she said, smiling as though she'd read his mind.

'You can't save me, Rose,' he said.

'I can if you want. What _do_ you want, Doctor?'

'I don't wanna go,' he whispered, and like so many others the words had left his mouth before he could stop them.

She stepped closer then, something he hadn't imagined possible, really, considering how close she was already standing. She tilted her head back so that she was looking directly up at him and for the tiny moment before her lips pressed against his he saw her eyes were ghosted with golden light.

When he came back to himself he was slumped against the support strut behind him and she had fallen against him, barely conscious. Her heart rate had picked up now, quite alarmingly. And he could feel no pain. He caught her in his arms and carried her to the jump seat.

As he strapped her in she murmured something at the edge of hearing and he had to lean closer to catch it. She repeated herself. 'Get ready.' Then she lost consciousness and the console room became his own personal hell. They were going to crash.


	2. The Raggedy Wolf

He managed to force the TARDIS into a rematerialisation above some kind of forest, which he then crashed into – causing mild damage to several trees on the way down. He remembered Five being astounded at how well he flew the TARDIS _I've never met anyone else who could fly the TARDIS like that –_ and his own glib response_ Sorry mate, you still haven't_. Truth be told he was better than he'd ever been before with the TARDIS, more in tune with it. Landings notwithstanding.

The TARDIS was badly damaged, of course. He could fix that. He would be himself when he fixed that. He suddenly realised he was laughing almost hysterically, sheer relief at still being himself taking over.

Then he caught sight of her, still strapped into the jump seat. He moved to her side, unbuckling the straps and lifting her out of the seat. He stood still for a moment, holding her tightly against him, his eyes closed. Then he left the console room.

When he reached her room the door was open, as though she'd only just left. He pushed the door with his foot – a proper door, he remembered for what felt like the first time in a long time; the TARDIS had given her what seemed to be an honest to god wooden door – and stepped inside, hearing the door close quietly behind him.

He made his way across the room and stood at the edge of her bed. Suddenly finding he didn't want to let her go, he laid her down in the middle of the bed and lay down beside her, propping himself up on his elbow so he could look at her. If he hadn't known better he would have said she was just sleeping. He reached into this pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, using it to scan first her head, then her heart. It was racing, fluttering like a bird's in her chest. Gently, he opened one of her eyes and examined it. Her eyes were almost black, her pupils were so large. Still, no sign of the golden light that had infused them previously. He didn't allow himself to wonder if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Her body was radiating heat. He slid his hand into hers and felt her shiver slightly at his cooler body temperature.

_Burning up a sun to say goodbye_, he thought suddenly, the memory seeming to come from a very long time ago. _Was that what you were doing, Rose?_ _Burning yourself up to save me? To say goodbye to me?_

He curled his arm underneath his head and lay there, looking at her. He had literally a tonne of medical gadgets in the infirmary, but his feet had led him here. He knew there was nothing he could do; he was less than useless to her now. Should get on with fixing the TARDIS, really.

He was desperately trying not to acknowledge the feeling that if he left her, she would disappear entirely.

\/\/

Rose opened her eyes, staring into the darkness above her. For the first time in a long time she didn't feel the panic she usually felt waking up. Around her she could hear the sounds she'd always thought of as the TARDIS breathing, the gentle in and out hum the ship made when not in motion. The sound immediately told her where she was, that she was safe.

Basking in the feeling of utter security the realisation that someone was here with her crept of her slowly. She turned her head, grimacing at the slight pain in the back of her neck from sleeping in a strange position. The Doctor appeared to be asleep next to her – his superior biology apparently having failed him. His head was on his arm; the fingertips of his other hand were just barely resting against her forearm.

She'd never seen him asleep before. Unconscious, yes, but not asleep. It worried her. Maybe something had gone wrong? Lacking a stethoscope – and the desire to leave the bed to fetch one – she turned slightly, noting that as her arm moved away, his fingers followed it. Now she was lying on her side, facing him. She reached out tentatively and rested her hand against his chest, feeling the beat of first one heart, then the other. Both seemed to be running at a normal resting pace.

Satisfied that he at least seemed all right, she studied his face, noting the differences there. He looked older, which she knew was impossible, and even in sleep his face hadn't relaxed.

Abruptly, she remembered what Harriet Jones had said on Christmas Day, just after her defeated the Sycorax. _Absolutely the same man._ At the time, she'd agreed, despite the unusual feelings he'd stirred in her when he stood in front of her and fixed her with the most intense expression she'd ever seen. _Be honest. How do I look?_

She realised now that the former prime minister had been wrong. Oh, he was definitely still the Doctor - cleverest brain and largest ego to roam the universe – but he was fundamentally different from the man she'd first known. Both lighter and darker, so much darker, than his previous incarnation.

For a few moments in the console room, the Bad Wolf had seen everything he'd done. All those steps down the path of damnation that had exhausted him, finally.

An image came to her mind, a crystal clear image of the Doctor sitting in a café somewhere with Donna's granddad. Her Doctor. Crying. Looking absolutely miserable and far too vulnerable.

_Too human_. The words came from nowhere but she understood their meaning. It was one of the things it had taken her so long to get used to when he regenerated. He was so human and yet at the same time so much more than human, seeming to feel everything so much more intensely than he had done previously. Anger, fear, joy, sadness, love. Every emotion he had was so much more immediate, so much closer to the surface and then amplified by the fact that he wasn't human.

In the beginning he had been so much more human than when they first met, but now – she saw more of the storm in him than ever. She'd had a glimpse of it, when he'd left her in Bad Wolf Bay with his human metacrisis clone. He'd been distant, holding himself away from the situation as though it wasn't important.

His human counterpart had spoken about it as he lay dying. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that suddenly marred her vision.

'_You have to understand!' He hissed, his body arching off the ground. _

'_I have to help you!' she'd responded, aware that her mother was calling an ambulance somewhere behind her. _

'_You can't. You know you can't. But I can help you if you just listen to me… this was a mistake, you have to understand that, a __**mistake**__. I – we – he is afraid. Terrified and he doesn't know what to do. Something is broken and he doesn't know how to fix it.'_

'_But you're-' she began._

'_Not me! Him. He's broken. I'm not even meant to exist.' His eyes had closed then, and she'd almost screamed his name. They blinked open again, but she could see he was going to lose consciousness again very quickly. 'Rose,' he said softly. She met his eyes, refusing to blink in case he was gone before she could look at him again. 'I'm so sorry. I love you. __**So**__ much.'_

'_I know,' she said._

_He looked exasperated. 'Don't you see – I'm him, he is me. I can't feel anything he doesn't.' Suddenly he reached out and grabbed her face, pulling her closer. 'He needs you.' His eyes fell closed again, his lashes dark against the pallor of his cheeks._

_The Doctor's own words, spoken only hours before, echoed in her head then: 'That's very me.'_

'_He's gone! I can't lose you too!' She sobbed._

'_You found me before.' He breathed, his breath hitching. He was silent for several moments, then his eyes snapped open, full of fear and pain and behind that, something else. 'Rose Tyler-'_

\/\/

The Doctor awoke to the unfamiliar realisation that he'd been asleep. Odd that. He didn't actually _need _sleep, of course, although he'd found that his present incarnation enjoyed the occasional nap. However, he'd had absolutely no intention of sleeping and yet, here he was, waking up, which rather indicated that sleep had been taking place.

He felt a shiver run through his body. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Rose! Rose was no longer lying beside him on the bed. Panicking, he sat bolt upright, swinging his legs around to bring them into contact with the ground.

'Oi!'

Just in time he heard the shout and narrowly managed to avoid kicking Rose in the head. Unfortunately the abrupt change in position he had to make deposited the both on the floor of her room.

After several moments' silence, she said, 'You kept my room then?'

'The TARDIS did,' he responded, before he could think of how that would sound. Realising it was exactly honest while not being true, he added, 'For me.'

She looked around at the décor and said simply, 'Don't think it's your colour, really.'

The Doctor followed her gaze and took in the purple walls. 'No! I meant-'

'I know what you meant.'

He looked back at her sharply and realised she was smiling at him, her eyes glinting mischievously. He narrowed his eyes at her. 'So…'

'So?'

'I think you'd better tell me what happened.'


	3. Classification

Rose blinked at him. 'Not now.' He cocked his head inquisitively. Ignoring the implied question, she said, 'You all right?'

He met her eyes briefly before looking away. 'I'm always all right.'

'You were regenerating.'

'And you stopped it,' he said, his gaze returning to study her face. 'How did you do that?'

'Where are we?' she asked, standing and dusting herself off.

'Rose,' he said sternly.

'Are we on a planet?'

'Don't know,' he said, pulling himself up, 'we crashed.'

'Shouldn't you have a look?' She prompted. 'At the TARDIS?'

'What?' he said, as though he'd been deep in thought. 'Oh. Yes. Right. I'll just…' After a long moment of staring at her, searching her face for some clue as to what she was feeling, he turned on his heel and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Rose was left alone in her bedroom. She wasn't quite sure why she'd – very gently – thrown him out. She just suddenly wanted him away. _Maybe so I don't have to watch him work out how he's going to ditch me this time_. She crossed the room and rested her hand against the door, curling her other arm around herself, her eyes falling closed. Behind her, the TARDIS dimmed the lights of the room and started running her shower.

\/\/

The Doctor closed the door behind him quietly, but felt unable to make his feet take him to the console room. He turned, preparing to go back into the room, the need to keep her in his sight overriding his wounded pride at being thrown out. Luckily his survival instinct kicked in and he stopped himself – his hand coming to rest against the door.

\/\/

Rose turned under the spray of the shower, letting the perfect heat warm her throughout. She rested her hands against the wall of the shower cubicle and allowed the water to pound straight down onto the back of her neck. She watched the water falling all around her.

'_I warned you. You did this.' _

Rose gasped as she felt cold fury infuse her limbs. _There was water everywhere, mingling freely with the fire. The spider creature – the Racnoss – screamed. At the edge of hearing, Donna Noble shouted, 'Doctor! You can stop now!' He did not move. Frozen in the midst of the fire and water, staring at the Racnoss, feeling nothing but the cold fury._

Rose gasped as the vision released her, dropping her to the floor of the shower. She sat there for several moments, trying to make sense of what she'd seen. Her mind felt hot.

Above her, the shower shut off. She expected the cold air to hit her, then remembered where she was. The TARDIS gently filled the room with warm air. She pulled herself to her feet and reached for her clothes, pulling them on over damp skin.

Rose opened the door to her room. She'd somehow expected him to still be out there. When he wasn't she mentally scolded herself for being ridiculous. The TARDIS needed repairing – he wasn't exactly going to be hanging out in the corridor outside her room, was he?

She made her way to the console room. Predictably he had one of the floor panels up and was down under the console, keeping up a constant stream of murmured babble.

Silently, she crept into the console room and climbed into the jump seat, closing her eyes and simply enjoying the feel of the TARDIS surrounding her.

Some time later, could have been seconds or minutes, Rose was never sure, the Doctor hauled himself out of the space beneath the console. He failed to notice her and stood, pressing buttons and flicking various switches. He turned slightly to look at the screen and caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. He jumped.

'Hello,' he said, recovering.

'Hello,' she responded, offering him a half-hearted smile. 'You worked out where we are then?'

'Umm… no, actually,' he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Had to…' he gestured at the still-wrecked console room.

The regarded one another in an awkward silence for a moment. Suddenly, Rose stood, just as the Doctor reached out to her. His fingers brushed against her arm and Rose gasped as she felt manic fury burn in her mind and her chest.

'_It's taken me all these years to realise the laws of time are mine! AND THEY WILL OBEY ME!' _The words screamed through her mind, hurting, hurting so much.

Rose staggered away from him. He was staring at her, his mouth open and his eyes wide. 'That was-'

'You!' she said, staring back up at him.

'Rose-' he said quietly.

'I need some air,' she muttered, heading for the doors, careful to walk around the other side of the console.

'You don't know what's out there,' he reminded her, turning to watch her.

She ignored him and opened the TARDIS door, slipping into the darkness of the forest outside.

He stared after her for a moment, then followed her, not bothering to pick up his coat on the way out.

The TARDIS had crashed at the edge of a cliff, the forest was spread out behind them. Rose was standing at the edge, looking out over the water below. The quiet sound of the waves was not unlike the sound of the TARDIS, he mused, same rhythm.

As he moved to step towards her, he heard something else. Whipping his head to the side he saw creatures start emerging from the forest. Creatures he didn't recognise. Odd. They looked vaguely human, except they were very pale, almost translucent, and appeared to have three eyes.

'Rose!' he said sharply. She turned, but before she could get back to him two of the creatures were holding her arms, keeping her in place.

'Doctor!' she called. He turned to see two creatures looming beside him, too. He smiled up at them, 'Hello!'

'You are alien. You will be classified.' The creature said. Another appeared, walking towards the Doctor with something that looked like a gun in its hand.

'Classified?' The Doctor asked, 'you want to classify me?'

He heard Rose mutter, 'Good luck,' and turned a stern glare on her. 'Oi, you. Less of that.'

The creature with the object raised it and aimed it at his head. When it depressed the trigger the Doctor felt a cool breeze wash over him. He wasn't panicked, they'd never be able to-

'Place of origin: Gallifrey,' the leader snapped, 'Species: Time Lord.'

The Doctor's mouth dropped open in surprise. 'What?' he demanded.

But the creature had already turned to face Rose, raising the instrument to her face. 'Doctor…?' Rose said, fear in her eyes.

'Planet of origin: Earth,' the leader said in the same matter of fact tone, 'Species:…' He frowned and shook the device. Then he aimed it at her face again. 'Species… unknown.'


	4. Species: Unknown

After what felt like a century of silence the Doctor and Rose spoke simultaneously: 'What?'

'State your species,' the leader said, shifting his grip on the device slightly.

'Human,' Rose said, panic in her voice, 'I'm human.'

'You are not,' the leader said, 'State your species!'

'She's human,' the Doctor snapped, 'born on Earth in the twentieth century. I should know.'

Rose looked up at the Doctor, her eyes terrified. He was utterly still, barely seeming to breathe. 'Doctor?'

'That which cannot be classified is declared dangerous and must be destroyed.' The leader said, tilting his head to one side.

'What? Why? Whose stupid idea was that?' the Doctor demanded. He could feel his mind running like quicksilver. Human. Rose was _so _human. But she'd crossed the Void, hadn't she? Unshielded and alone she'd crossed the Void and survived. And she'd stopped time in the TARDIS as easily as if she was pausing a DVD. And she'd saved him…

'Autopsy will determine difference and allow classification.' The leader moved towards Rose, holding up the classification device again. Holding it differently this time, more like a weapon.

'I wouldn't do that, if I were you,' the Doctor said darkly.

The creatures holding him pulled a little too hard at his arms, making him loose his footing and their leader turned around, snarling. 'Do not damage him! He is an endangered species and must be preserved!' Then he turned back to Rose.

'Really,' the Doctor said in the same stern tone, 'I wouldn't.'

'Endangered species are not required to speak, child of Gallifrey.'

Rose, watching the Doctor closely, saw the tiny sliver of pain in his eyes at the mention of Gallifrey. Always there. Always hurting.

Nevertheless, the Doctor continued. 'Oh but I have to,' he said. ''Cos I'm an endangered species, right?' He nodded towards Rose. 'She's my mate.'

It took Rose a moment to work out what he meant, then - to her absolute horror - she blushed.

'Your mate?' the leader said, glancing at the Doctor over his shoulder.

'Yep,' the Doctor grinned. ''S'why you can't tell her species… only part human now, poor thing. It's my superior Gallifreyan physiology. Overwrites her primitive human DNA.'

'Oi!' Rose said indignantly.

'The veracity of your statements will be determined at autopsy.' The leader said.

'Really?' the Doctor asked, running a hand though his hair. Rose wondered when he'd gotten his arm free and apparently so did his captors as they hastily grabbed his sleeve again. 'Well, I s'pose if you're dead set on an autopsy… I should at least get to say goodbye. Last of the Time Lords and his girlfriend and all that?' Despite his guards he started forward. One of the guards took exception to his wandering captive and pulled the Doctor back so sharply that he was pulled to the ground.

Before the Doctor could get up the leader had turned, training the device that was looking more and more like a weapon on him.

'I thought I was an endangered species?' the Doctor said indignantly.

'You do not necessarily have to be whole to be worth our while,' the leader growled menacingly. 'Or in your present form. We know about Time Lords here. And we know about the last of the Time Lords, Doctor.'

'Heard of me, then?' the Doctor asked, pleased.

'Indeed. We know what they say about you. Murderer. Destroyer of worlds. Killer of your own kind.'

But the Doctor was looking past him, his eyes fixed on Rose. 'Take your hands off her,' he said, his voice low.

\/\/

The Doctor threw the TARDIS into the vortex, a tiny part of his mind worrying he hadn't fixed enough to keep them there. The rest of his mind was devoted to the scene they'd just left. He shook his head to clear it – plenty of time to consider that later. Then he leaned against the console and stared at her, his expression hard.

'I didn't kill them, they were only stunned,' Rose –_not Rose_ – said, her voice eerily doubled.

'Get out of her,' he spat.

Golden eyes calmly returned his glare. 'I am her. To destroy me would be to destroy her. Us. Each thing we did – crossing the void, stopping time, halting your regeneration – these things bound us, the Wolf to the Rose. Inseparable. But its more than that –'

'I'm warning you,' he growled.

'I chose this, Doctor,' she said, 'when I chose you.'

'You knew this would happen! You're sentient, part of the TARDIS. You knew! You should have left her.'

'_I am her_. You've said it yourself. A Time Lord in control of the vortex would even now be terrorising the universe. Not this girl you chose. So human. I looked into the TARDIS and the TARDIS looked into me. I won't burn because I can't. From the moment Rose set foot on this TARDIS, from the moment she was born – this was intended for her. A fact. Think about it, Doctor. Of all the things we could have done, we saved you. Twice. I saw you, throughout time and over distance we saw you. We felt your pain and we felt your fury from the parallel world you deserted me on and we saved you. Because you couldn't save yourself. Everything we have done, I did for you. To keep you safe.'

He stared at her, his eyes searching her face, his brain taking note of the fact that she couldn't quite seem to work out whether she should be sticking to a singular first person pronoun or not.

'The larger part is human,' she continued, her voice adopting a softer tone, 'the rest is controlled, unless Rose chooses otherwise. When there is too much strain, too much for the human in me to bear, the wolf runs.' The golden glare met his eyes again, a warning note in her gaze this time. 'But I will protect myself. Even from you if necessary, my Doctor. You have another choice to make.'

The glow faded and Rose's eyes returned to their normal colour. She sagged slightly, as though the glow had been holding her body taut.

'Rose-' the Doctor said, relieved. He stepped towards her, one hand reaching out, but her glare froze him in place.

'Take me home,' Rose said quietly.

The Doctor stared at her a moment. 'Oh… Really? Right. Okay then.' He turned and began to fiddle with the console, setting their destination.

When the TARDIS landed, Rose stood still, watching him carefully. She gave him an enquiring glance and inclined her head slightly in the direction of the doors.

'There you go. Earth, mid 2010,' he said. He cleared his throat and looked back at the console, fiddling with the switches.

'You could have come and got me,' she said levelly.

'I couldn't,' he said flatly, 'I tried.'

'You could have. You coulda come and got me any time. But you didn't. I heard what you said, about the laws of time and that. You could have,' she said again, 'but you didn't.'

He turned, gazing into her eyes intently, trying to make her understand. 'No,' he said, 'I was wrong. The laws are there for a reason, several, actually. Several very good reasons. I know that. Can't forget that, even if I want to. So I couldn't.'

'You're a Time Lord.'

'Exactly. It's a responsibility. I can't just rip two universes apart because I-'

'Because you what, Doctor?'

He turned back to the console, almost growling in irritation.

'I did,' she said, her voice almost a whisper. 'Didn't even think about it.'

'That's different-' he began.

'What? 'Cos I don't know any better? 'Cos I'm just a human?' she demanded.

The words were out before he could stop them. 'I don't know what you are!'


	5. Home

Rose stared at his back for a moment, and then started for the door. She yanked it open, letting in a gust of cold air, and was greeted by the sight of the Powell estate in the middle of the night. As she moved to walk out, the Doctor reached past her and pushed the door closed. Rose stared at his hand where it rested on the door. She hadn't even heard him move, so loud was the sound of rushing blood in her ears.

'Don't,' he said quietly, so close behind her that she could feel the word on the back of her neck.

'You keep tryin' to get rid of me,' she said, feeling angry, frustrated tears burn her eyes and trail down her face. 'Think its time I took the hint.'

'I've asked you to come with me four times now, Rose Tyler,' he reminded her. His voice was hoarse.

'Any why this time?' she demanded, 'Want to study me, Doctor?' She felt him flinch slightly but he didn't speak. 'Why, Doctor?' she asked, cursing the break she heard in her voice.

'Because I need you here. I want you,' he retracted his hand from the door and turned her gently by the shoulders until she was facing him. 'Here,' he said, and Rose wasn't sure if he was finishing his sentence or giving an instruction. He was completely still, she realised. She'd always thought it impossible, that his need to be constantly moving was somehow related to his hyperactive brain. She looked up at his face, met his gaze and had to suppress a gasp. He was terrified.

'Doctor-' she began. For the moment her anger was forgotten and she only wanted to reach for him, but found herself prohibited by his closeness.

They stood like that for several long seconds, their gazes locked. Then, apparently satisfied she wasn't going to bolt, the Doctor stepped back slightly, allowing her to meet his eyes without straining her neck. 'What I said,' he murmured, 'it wasn't… I didn't…' he sighed and ran a hand though his already quite dishevelled hair. He tried again, 'Rose, you've done impossible things. Dangerous things. _Brilliant _things. You have a piece of the vortex twisted around your mind… your _soul_. And you shouldn't be able to live with that, Rose, you really shouldn't. No one can. Not even the Time Lords. You're an anomaly. A-'

'Freak?' she offered.

'No!' he said hurriedly. Then, 'Well, yes. But,' he said, holding up a finger, 'if I ever speak to you like that again you have my permission to slap me one.'

She gave him a watery smile. 'You speak to everyone like that all the time, remember?'

He smiled back, 'Of course. Rude.'

'And not ginger.' She smiled, then a puzzled look crossed her features. 'You said it was mid 2010, right?' she asked, throwing him. His disorientation must have showed on his face because she added, 'like July?'

'Yeah,' he said slowly, not seeing where this was going.

'So what's with all the snow?'

His eyes widened slightly and he turned, rushing back to the console and swinging the screen around with one hand and grabbing his glasses out of his pocket with the other. 'Um…' he said, sliding them on and staring at the screen. Then he bolted back to the door, setting Rose aside gently, and opened it, looking out at their snow-covered surroundings. He bent down and picked up some of the snow.

'Don't taste it,' she warned.

He gave her a look that was somewhere between withering and amused and dropped the snow. 'My fault,' he said, turning back to face her. 'Right place, wrong time. Wasn't paying attention when I set the course. Sent us back to the last place and time the TARDIS landed in.'

'First of January, 2005,' Rose said quietly.

He nodded, returning to the console. 'Just after I left, actually. The TARDIS knew we were here before, didn't fancy meeting an earlier version of herself.' He paused, then added, 'Again.'

'This was the last place you went before you…' Rose trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence. He hadn't actually died, after all, and 'before you nearly died' seemed to be downplaying things a bit. Besides, she wasn't sure if they could talk about that yet, or if it would just raise questions about her presence all over again.

He looked down, seemingly unable to meet her gaze. When he spoke, however, his tone was offhand, as though he was _really_ interested in the switch he was fiddling with on the console. 'Yep. Did some other stuff first, though. Went to Donna's wedding, helped Martha and Mickey out a bit, taught Sarah Jane's son the green cross code. Oh and helped Jack hook up with a bloke called Alonso.'

'Alonso?' Rose asked, smiling, 'must have made your day.' A thought occurred to her. 'Hang on a minute. Did you tell them what was happening to you?'

He didn't answer, just moved around the console slightly so the rotor was hiding his face from view. Undeterred, Rose followed him. 'You didn't, did you? Just dropped in and disappeared again. Bet they know though. They all think you're dead.'

'Regenerated,' he corrected.

'Whatever,' she said dismissively, 'you were saying goodbye and they knew. They think you're gone. A different man.' She stood in front of him. 'You were saying goodbye, and you came here last.'

'Yeah, well…' he trailed off, clearly uncomfortable under her scrutiny. 'So… where to?'

'What?' she asked, shaking herself out of thoughts of Jack and Martha and all the rest, out there, somewhere - some_when_ – grieving for him while he stood here, alive. The same man. With her. Didn't seem fair. 'You should go and see them. Tell them you're ok.'

'Am I?' he asked. Her head snapped up at his tone. He sounded exhausted. 'Rose, I don't know what you did. I can't even begin to imagine what the vortex has done to you. Well… I _can_. I have a very good imagination. I should examine both of us…'

'You should go and tell the people who love you that you're still here,' she said sternly. 'When I woke up, back in the other world, and I knew what was happening to you… it hurt so much it was like I was being dragged here by the pain.' She paused, remembering. 'I don't want them to hurt like that and neither do you. So fix it.'

He was staring at her, she realised. Fixing her with such an intense look of concentration from behind his glasses that she suddenly felt quite exposed. Then he stretched out an arm towards her, offering her his hand. She glanced down at it, saw his fingers wiggle slightly. The movement of her hand was almost an automatic reaction to his, she slid her palm against his, feeling their fingers intertwining.

She looked back up at him, expecting to see him grinning. Instead his expression was serious, subdued. He tugged her hand gently, placing her body in the tiny amount of space between his own and the console. Then he reached around her and threw the handbrake. The TARDIS shuddered slightly as it dematerialised.

He looked down at her. 'Right,' he said quietly. 'Martha and Mickey first?' He was so close his breath ghosted over her face, making her shiver. She swallowed, trying to clear her suddenly dry throat. He raised his free hand and ran his index finger down the side of her face gently. 'Rose Tyler-' he began, then paused.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, Rose closed the remaining distance between them, sliding her own free hand up his side and into his hair, pulling his lips down to meet hers.


	6. Smith and Jones

_A/N: Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed and favourited this story. Hopefully it's going in the right direction... Anyway, on with the motley._

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As the rematerialisation jolted them they separated. Rose was breathing heavily and was gratified to notice the Doctor seemed to be slightly breathless, respiritory bypass system or not. She extricated her fingers from his hair and he gently removed his hand from her lower back, where it had worked its way under her shirt.

He sucked in a breath. 'Blimey.'

Outside, Martha and Mickey were staring at the blue police box that had materialised in their living room during dinner.

They shared a look. When he'd appeared and saved them, they'd been certain he was saying goodbye, about to regenerate. Martha found she was mentally bracing herself as the door opened. What would the man who came out of that door be like? What would he _look_ like?

Pretty much the same as ever, she mused as a familiar brown-haired, wide-eyed, brown-coated man stepped into the room. He looked around.

'Living room, right. Sorry. Thought it would be better to arrive here, rather than the office.' He smiled and gave a little wave. 'Hello.'

'Hello,' Mickey said, since Martha was apparently dumbstruck.

'Mickey!' The Doctor said, grinning. 'And Martha Jones!' then he raised his eyebrows slightly, 'Smith?' He queried.

Martha still didn't speak. 'Nah,' Mickey said. 'Smith and Jones.'

'Brilliant!'

'We thought-' Martha began, finally finding her voice. 'When we saw you we thought you were... Leaving.' She finished, evidently unsure how to end her sentence.

'Oh, I was,' the Doctor said, suddenly serious. 'I was dying. Well...' He said, drawing the word out, 'regenerating.'

'No offence, boss, but how are you standin' here right now? Lookin' like…' Mickey trailed off. 'Last time...'

The Doctor looked nonplussed for a second. 'Good question.' He reached behind himself and rapped on the TARDIS door sharply. 'Oi! You coming out?'

Martha and Mickey shared a quick glance, wondering when they'd catch up on events and whether the Doctor had gone mad. Madder.

The door opened and Rose stepped out, pulling on a jacket she'd found in her room.

'Rose!' Mickey and Martha said at the same time.

'Jack said you were...'

'Trapped in a parallel world, yeah?' She shot a glare up at the Doctor, who looked vaguely guilty. She smiled at Mickey and Martha. 'Not anymore.'

Martha stepped forwards and pulled the Doctor into a hug. 'I'm really glad you're...'

'Still me?' He supplied, hugging her back.

She nodded against his chest, then stepped back slightly. Turning, she put her arms around Rose. 'Thank you,' she said, 'I don't know what you did, but I'm sure you did something.'

Rose hugged her back, smiling.

'Mickey the idiot!' The doctor said spreading his arms and hugging Mickey.

Mickey slapped him on the back and stepped back, before he too turned to Rose and hugged her.

When he released her, rose said, 'so you two are married?' Mickey nodded and took Martha's hand. 'Protecting the Earth together.' Rose grinned.

'Brilliant!' The doctor said.

'So,' Martha said, 'are you going to tell us what happened?'

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the Doctor. 'Not much to tell, really. All sorted now. This is just a flying visit to say hi, let you know I'm all right-'

'Disturb our dinner,' Martha said, smiling.

'Sorry,' Rose said, nudging the Doctor, who echoed her, 'Sorry.'

'No problem,' Mickey said, 'Do you want-'

'We have to go,' the Doctor said.

'Oh,' Martha and Mickey said together. Mickey noticed Rose was looking at the Doctor, traces of a glare in her gaze.

'What will you do now?'

'Oh, the usual. Got some repairs to do on the TARDIS, places to see, things to do-'

'People to visit,' Rose said quietly.

'Exactly! Lots to do.' The Doctor said, seemingly unaware of Rose's tone.

'We'll see you again though, yeah?' Mickey said.

'Course you will,' Rose said, 'Right, Doctor?'

'Course.'

'Well, then. I s'pose we'll see you.' Martha said. She stepped forward and hugged the Doctor again.

Mickey was watching Rose closely. She looked up and caught his eyes. He smiled, grateful when she returned it.

'Right, Rose Tyler, we're off.' The Doctor said, straightening from his hug with Martha. After shaking hands with Mickey, he turned and walked into the TARDIS.

Rose stood in the TARDIS doorway for a moment. 'Sorry about him,' she offered.

'We know what he's like,' Martha said. 'Is he really ok?'

Rose nodded.

'Are you?' Mickey asked.

'Course,' Rose said.

'You're with him,' Mickey finished, smiling. Rose beamed at him. 'What about your mum?'

Rose sobered. 'She's in the parallel world. With Pete and Tony. She's happy.'

Mickey nodded but said nothing.

They heard the Doctor's voice calling from the TARDIS, 'Rose! You can't stand there gossiping all day!'

Martha smiled ruefully. 'Doesn't change, does he?'

A shadow crossed Rose's face. 'Hope not.' The shadow passed as she smiled. 'You two take care of each other, yeah?'

They smiled and moved closer together, their arms wrapping around one another's waist. Rose gave them a dazzling smile then stepped into the TARDIS, closing the door behind her. Martha and Mickey watched as the TARDIS dematerialised.

'That was-' Martha said.

'Weird.' Mickey finished.

'Yeah,' Martha agreed. 'Brilliant, but-'

'Weird.'

\/\/

Rose stood just inside the doors of the TARDIS, watching the Doctor moving around the console. He was slightly less animated than she remembered him being. His movements subdued. He looked up and caught her watching him.

'What?'

'We could have stayed a bit longer,' she said, moving closer to him. Her legs were automatically compensating for the motion of the TARDIS.

He watched her warily as she reached him and climbed into the jump seat. 'You're tired,' he observed.

''m all right,' she responded.

'Rose-' he said warningly.

'I'm fine, Doctor.'

He sat down next to her, hyper aware of her warmth along his side. 'Tell you what,' he said conversationally, keeping his eyes on the rotor, 'how about you get some sleep while I visit Sarah Jane and Luke?'

'How do I know you'll go?' She yawned.

'Rose,' he said gently. She looked up to find him watching her. 'Go and get some sleep. I promise you I'll go, set things straight with Sarah Jane and come straight back.'

'No dawdling,' she murmured.

'I don't dawdle!' he said, scandalised.

The TARDIS landed, pressing Rose back into the seat and knocking the Doctor to the floor. She laughed softly as he sprang back up.

'We're here!' he said brightly. He turned and pointed at her 'Bed!' She raised an eyebrow at him. To her delight – and surprise – he looked down and turned away, fiddling with the console. 'Right, well, yes. I'll be-' he moved around the console, grabbing his coat and pulling it on. 'Back in a jiffy. Hmm… jiffy. _Jif_fy. Not sure about that one,' He met her gaze, seeing amusement sparkling with the exhaustion. 'Get some sleep,' he said, as sternly as he could. Then he turned and left the TARDIS, closing the door behind himself.


	7. Definitely Hiding

Rose awoke and knew she was alone in the TARDIS. She'd fallen onto her bed, rather than into it and was now lying on top of the covers, fully clothed. She rolled onto her back, feeling her muscles ache slightly.

She was still tired, so from the feel of it she hadn't been asleep long. She checked the clock she kept on her bedside table. She'd kept it set to London time, to prevent her calling Jackie in the middle of the night. She'd been asleep for three hours.

Three hours and he wasn't back. She should look for him. She should get up right now, go straight out there and start looking for him. Something was stopping her. Something big.

He was… different. What she'd seen in his mind proved that. She'd known, of course, on some level. The Bad Wolf had seen everything. But seeing and knowing and feeling and knowing were very different things.

Feeling his… gleeful despair as he'd decided he could do whatever he wanted, there was no one to stop him, and very little worth stopping _for_… feeling _that_ had terrified her. Worse than the idea that he would leave her behind again. That he wouldn't want her here. Couldn't accept her as she was now. It had always been there – that edge of insanity, of mania. Both incarnations had it in them. But this one? He felt it so much more. Lived so much closer to that edge. She remembered her thoughts earlier, before he'd awoken. He was more dangerous than her first Doctor. More filled with light, laughter and brilliance. But she knew there had been times, too many times, when he'd slipped. Let the darkness take over, pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

Nevertheless, she would always look for him. Always stay with him. _How long are you gonna stay with me? Forever. _He hadn't said anything after that, just smiled and continued staring out over the view. Hadn't told her it was impossible, hadn't reminded her that she would die – too soon – and he'd be alone again.

He'd asked her to stay, she remembered. Almost begged. _He needs you. That's very me._ He'd asked her to stay and he was terrified.

He was hiding from her, she knew. Idiot. She stood and stretched. She'd give him an hour, and then go looking. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what she'd find when she found him.

\/\/

Things had gone well with Sarah Jane. She'd understood he didn't want to be questioned. Had understood that some things needed to go unsaid. She'd asked to see Rose, though. Perceptive Sarah Jane. She knew consciously what the others, Martha, Mickey… the lot of them were only aware of on a subconscious level. He could say whatever he wanted, act however he wanted. All they had to do was watch Rose. Watch his behaviour, his body language around Rose. See Rose, see the Doctor.

And now? Now he was hiding. Worried about what _he'd_ see when he looked at Rose. Sitting in a nondescript café a few streets away from the TARDIS. The TARDIS with its infinite hiding places and he was hiding in a café, drinking tea that was below par at best. He should be in the TARDIS, drinking tea with Rose. Not hiding. Didn't make sense to hide here. Perhaps he wasn't hiding. Perhaps… yes. Perhaps he was meant to be here. Maybe something was about to happen. End of the world stuff.

He shot a surreptitious glance around the café. Nope. Nothing doing. Hiding, then. Should probably man up and get back to the TARDIS. Trouble was… every time he closed his eyes he saw the golden light that had illuminated the cliff top.

_Her eyes were glowing. He heard himself speak, his voice insanely calm. 'Take your hands off her.' Warning them. Get away. Run._

'_Get away from him,' Rose said, her words sounding as though they were coming from a long way away. _

'_Now we see the true creature. Threaten the mate and it appears.' The leader said, turning back to face Rose. 'State your species.'_

_When Rose didn't speak, the Doctor answered. 'You couldn't even begin to understand. Please, if you want to get out of this alive, get away from her. Keep away from her.'_

_The leader had looked at him, his gaze almost curious. 'Bring him closer,' he ordered. _

_The Doctor was dragged to his feet and marched across to stand in front of Rose. Heat was pouring off her. Her eyes were locked on his and he couldn't look away. He could feel the heat of her in his head now. He wanted desperately to close his eyes, to look away._

'_So much power,' the leader said, running his scanner up and down Rose's body. He scanned the Doctor. 'Traces of it on the Time Lord, but the female? So much power.' He looked at Rose. 'I am a scientist,' the Doctor snorted at that, unable to help himself, but the leader ignored him and continued. 'Show me.'_

'_Don't,' the Doctor warned. His eyes still held by hers. 'Don't ask.'_

_Rose's gaze snapped to the leader, releasing the Doctor. He sagged, physically drained by the contact. 'Let him go,' she said. _

'_You are too good a pair to be ignored. You will return to the laboratory with us to be catalogued.'_

'_Don't be stupid,' the Doctor said impatiently, 'you said it yourself. There's so much power there. Too much. Just let her go. I'll come with you. Just let her go.'_

'_No!' Rose said, her voice a whisper that carried further than it had any right to. 'It hurts.'_

'_Take him,' the leader said. 'And bring her.'_

_As the guards made to drag the Doctor away, Rose opened her mouth and screamed. _

_Golden light so brilliant it was almost white filled the Doctor's senses. He could seefeeltastesmellhear the light, externally and internally. Then he was released. The sensation of her hand in his made him jump. Then she was pulling him along. And they were running. Running past the recumbent bodies of their former captors, towards the TARDIS doors… the TARDIS doors that swung open without being pushed._

He shook his head to clear it. This was his fault. In oh so many ways. She was different. Altered in some way by the vortex within. The vortex she'd taken on to save him. Then she'd shaken hands with the wolf to save him again. Over and over, pulling him back from the brink. She'd lost everything, including her ability to belong to a classifiable species, apparently. And all he'd been able to think about, while he'd been with Sarah Jane and Luke, was that he hoped she'd still be asleep when he returned to the TARDIS so he could lay down beside her and watch over her. And that that was a bad thought to have, hence the hiding and the tea.

He growled in frustration and stormed out of the café, drawing several perplexed glances from his fellow tea-drinkers.

\/\/


	8. Captain Envy

When he stepped through the TARDIS doors she was sitting in the control room, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. Her eyes were closed.

'Hello,' he said, closing the door behind him.

''lo,' she responded, not opening her eyes.

He took his coat off and hung it over the beam beside him before walking up the ramp to the console. 'You ok?'

'How was Sarah Jane?' she asked, opening her eyes to look at him finally.

'Fine. She was fine. Better than fine, actually.' His hands flew over the console, setting the destination. 'Thought we might go and see Jack now.'

She smiled, apparently glad that she didn't need to remind him of their mission.

'Rose-' he began, then gave up. What could he say. _I'm so glad you're here but I'm afraid, so very afraid, that you're going to destroy yourself and possibly me too? Not to mention two universes…_ Didn't seem right somehow.

'I sealed the gap,' she said, staring up at the rotor as it started to move.

'What?' he asked, shaken out of his reverie by her apparent non-sequitur.

'Wasn't really a gap, though. Not like I thought,' she looked down at him and caught his expression. 'Where I came through?'

'Oh! Right! Yeah, probably should have asked about that, really.' He tugged his earlobe.

She smiled, 'Well, you've been busy. Can't think of everything.'

He stared at her, aware he was doing it somehow not quite able to stop himself. He wanted to kiss her. Very much. He was about to move, every muscle tensed in anticipation, when she looked away, back up at the rotor, breaking the contact and ending the moment.

\/\/

Jack Harkness was running. Running for his life. What a difference a week made. This time seven days ago there had been drinking, and dancing, and Alonso. And the Doctor.

Huh. Best not to think about that really. Alonso, however… He knew he was grinning wolfishly. Grinning in the rain. He stopped, catching his breath. There were no sounds of pursuit behind him. Had he outrun them? He pulled his coat tighter around himself as the rain dripped down the back of his neck. Damn planet with its shiny, shiny bars and wet, dark streets.

As he headed off, something caught his eye. There was a man, watching him from the end of the street. Through the downpour he couldn't make anything out about the man. Other than… yeah. He was wearing a long coat.

Not a crime. Lots of people wore long coats. And just because he was looking for someone didn't mean they were going to appear. Not wearing that coat anyway. As he watched, the man turned, his coat swirling out behind him, and headed down a side alley.

Jack followed, unable to stop himself. It was stupid, he knew. These sublevels could be dangerous. And however he might joke about it, following strange men into suspicious alleys wasn't really his thing.

He turned the corner and was rewarded with the heart achingly familiar sight of the TARDIS. The door was open. He stepped forward, uncharacteristically cautious. Freaked out at the thought of what he would find. Last time the Doctor had regenerated he'd been so different. A stark contrast from the Doctor he'd first known.

Realising he was afraid, Jack stood up straighter and walked purposely into the TARDIS. As soon as he was inside he was hit by something, pushing him back against the doors. 'Jack!'

Hearing his name shocked Jack into motion. He looked down. Rose. Rose was standing there with her arms wrapped tightly around him, beaming up at him. He grinned back down at her.

He looked up, over Rose's head, to the console. The Doctor was leaning against the console, soaked through. Jack stared at him, taking inventory. Long brown hair dripping slicked down by the rain, _check_. Long coat dripping water onto the TARDIS floor, _check_. Scuffed cream converses, _check_. Jack felt Rose release him and in a few quick steps was across the console room, grabbing the Doctor and hugging him.

'Jack-' he heard the Doctor start to object, but he put an arm our behind him, felt Rose take his hand and pulled her into the embrace too.

After a moment, the Doctor pulled away and leaned against the console, grinning at Jack. 'Captain.'

'Doctor,' Jack said, returning the grin, 'you haven't changed a bit.' His expression sobered. 'Sorry – don't know where we are in your timeline, given the fact that you're here together, I'm not sure the last time I saw you has happened for you yet.' He winced at the inelegance of the sentence. Of letting slip that he didn't expect to see them together.

Rose raised her eyebrows at him.

'Leave it to the former Time Agent to watch what he says to the time traveller about the fact that he shouldn't be here.' The Doctor said.

'You-'

'How did it go with Alonso?'

'Fine. Better than fine, actually. Great,' Jack said, smiling at the memory. He gave them both a stern look. 'Spill, 'cause last I heard, you-' he pointed at Rose, 'were in the parallel universe with the… other Doctor, and you-' he pointed at the Doctor, 'well… you looked rough.'

'More than rough, Jack. I was dying. About to regenerate. And how did you know Rose was supposed the parallel world? We went there after we dropped you off. Hmm?' The Doctor raised his eyebrows, regarding Jack seriously.

'I kinda overheard you talking. You and the… other you. Arguing.'

From her position beside Jack, Rose looked up at the Doctor, who turned away and began shrugging out of his coat and throwing it in the general direction of a support strut. It was soaking wet, however, and fell short. He made no move to pick it up.

'Anyways, I told you what I know, so _spill_.'

'Go and get dried off first,' the Doctor said, 'You're dripping water all over my TARDIS.'

Jack looked down at Rose, who shrugged.

'Five minutes, then I want the story,' Jack said warningly.

The Doctor threw him a sloppy salute and turned back to the console, fiddling with some of the buttons.

Jack squeezed Rose's hand, 'Good to have you back.' Then he turned and left the room, heading further into the TARDIS.

The Doctor didn't look up from the console, his gaze steady on the readout. Rose picked up his wet coat and slung it over the strut he'd been aiming for. Then she turned to look at the Doctor. He was studiously avoiding looking up at her.

She moved closer, until she was standing right next to him. 'Doctor?'

'Hmm?'

'Doctor,' she said again.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, then turned to face her. 'What?'

Before she could think too much about it, Rose gave in to the insistence of her fingers and reached up, brushing damp hair off his forehead. As she was retracting her hand, his own snaked up and caught it. She blinked as her mind conjured images of kissing him earlier, in this very room. Twice.

'Hey! Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?' Jack's voice called from the hallway.

The Doctor dropped her hand. 'No.'

'Right,' Jack said sarcastically. There was an uncomfortable moment, then he said, 'So… you were telling me what the hell is going on?'

'I'll leave that to you, shall I?' Rose said, 'I'm just gonna… I'm just gonna…' she turned and pushed past Jack, heading out of the console room as quickly as possible without looking like she was beating a retreat.

Jack's eyebrows shot up to his hairline and he turned to the Doctor, who was staring after Rose.

'Doctor?'

The Time Lord's eyes snapped to Jack's. 'Yes, right. Explanations. I was regenerating…'

\/\/

The explanation took fifteen minutes, during which Rose didn't return to the console room. Jack caught the Doctor's eyes wandering to the corridor a few times while he was talking – _Lucky he can do that on autopilot_ – but he made no move to go after her.

'That's quite somethin',' Jack said, once the Doctor finished filling him in. 'Is she gonna be okay?'

The Doctor sighed, 'I don't know, Jack. I really don't. She _seems_ fine, just… different.'

'Yeah, I noticed you two weren't quite… the same.' The Doctor shot him a puzzled look. 'I mean, before you regenerated you were always close, holding hands. Even when we were on the Crucible…'

'About that,' the Doctor said, 'Tell me what you were doing eavesdropping on me.' His expression was stern, but Jack merely grinned at him.

'I was just passin', walking innocently through the corridors and I heard raised voices. You really don't know how to go easy on yourself, do ya?'

The Doctor smiled ruefully.

'You should go talk to her,' Jack said, suddenly serious.

'I… can't.'

'You can't talk? That'll be the day. Go find her,' he shoved the Doctor gently, 'and _tell her_.'

'She knows,' the Doctor said, sounding exhausted.

'Does she? She's kissed you twice since she's been back-' he smirked at the Doctor's expression, 'I pay attention. Unlike you, it seems. Have you said _anything _to her?'

'I… honestly, Jack, I can't.'

'Can't what?' Rose asked, entering the console room.

'Nothing,' the Doctor said, glaring at Jack.

Rose looked at Jack, 'You comin' with?'

He grinned, 'I've got nothin' else on my schedule for today.'

Rose fixed the Doctor with a look. 'One more stop.'

'I thought we were done? Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane, Jack,' he said, counting them off on his fingers. 'Done.'

'Donna's granddad was with you when you… got hurt,' she said. 'He was the reason you got hurt. I think he'd wanna know you're okay,' she finished defiantly.

The Doctor, however, was staring at her. 'How do you know that?'

'I saw it,' she said quietly, looking away. 'Just now.'

'Rose-' he began, but she cut him off.

'Last one,' she said, looking up at him and smiling. He felt better, even though the smile didn't reach her eyes.

He smiled back and began to move around the console, his hands dancing lightly over the controls. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack move to Rose's side and drape his arm over her shoulders, pulling her against his side. Tamping down on the irrational desire to shove Jack out the doors, he cleared his throat. 'Right, we should arrive just after Donna leaves for her honeymoon, can't risk her seeing us. Any of us.' He grinned, and threw them into the vortex. 'Allons-y!'


	9. Reception

_A/N: Again, thank you **so** much to everyone who has read and reviewed. You guys are amazing and keep me typing away! :-D_

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After the crowd waved Donna and Shaun off on their honeymoon, Wilfred Mott remained outside for a few moments. Watching the corner his granddaughter had disappeared around.

He sighed and made his way back inside, but rather than retake his seat and watch the party, he moved through the reception venue and out into the garden beyond, taking a seat at one of the benches there.

His daughter stuck her head around the door, 'Dad? You all right?'

He nodded. 'Just need a moment. I'll come in in a bit, darlin'.'

For a moment she looked as though she might object, but seemingly decided against it and headed inside to where the reception was still in full swing, letting the door close behind her. Wilf relaxed back into the bench, sighing. _What a day._ Donna – married and off honeymooning in a holiday inn, the lottery ticket still unchecked, and probably still tucked into her dress. And the Doctor – dead because of him. Because he'd had to get into the booth to save that young man.

The Doctor, who'd... the Doctor, who had… unable to complete the thought, Wilf looked around at a familiar sound.

Behind him, almost hidden by a large bush, tall, blue and impossible, stood the Doctor's ship. The door creaked open and a brown-suited leg emerged, closely followed by its owner. Wilf released a shuddering breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. 'Doctor,' he said, not so much a word as a whisper.

The Doctor grinned brightly. 'Wilfred Mott.'

'But you… you're… I mean… _Look _at you!'

The Doctor laughed, startling he tears from Wilf's eyes. The old man swiped at them, still smiling at his friend, who was picking his way through the overgrown garden towards him. 'Are you really here?'

'I'm really here,' the Doctor confirmed.

'How…?'

The Doctor sobered, deciding that Wilf deserved the explanation as much, if not more, than the others. 'Rose,' he said softly.

'The girl from the other dimension?'

'Yes,' the Doctor said. Then, 'Well… no actually. She's from this dimension but she got… lost.'

'She saved you?'

'Oh yes,' the Doctor said.

'Is she okay?' Wilf asked.

The Doctor looked puzzled at the question for a moment, before realising it must look odd that he was here alone if Rose had saved him. 'Rose!' he called over his shoulder.

Wilf watched as the young woman he'd met when the Daleks attacked stepped out of the Doctor's ship, closely followed by a handsome young man. She walked through the garden until she stood at the Doctor's side.

'Hello again,' she said, smiling and giving a little wave.

Wilf stepped forwards, tears glistening in his eyes and pulled the girl into a hug, blinking against the tears. When he looked up at the Doctor over Rose's shoulder, he saw his friend was staring at the back of Rose's head, an expression of such tenderness in his eyes that Wilf felt he should look away.

When Rose stepped back to the Doctor's side, Wilf looked up at him. 'What you did –'

'It was my honour,' the Doctor repeated, his expression serious.

They regarded one another seriously for a moment, then Wilf said, 'Why don't you come in for a bit?'

'We can't,' the Doctor said, 'Donna-'

'Donna's gone off on her honeymoon… its just a party now. You three look like you could do with a bit of a rest.'

When the Doctor didn't speak the handsome young man stepped forwards, offering his hand to Wilf. 'Captain Jack Harkness,' he said, shaking Wilf's hand. 'We'd be happy to.' He placed a hand at the small of Rose's back and propelled her towards the doors.

'Sorry about him,' the Doctor said, offering Wilf a half-smile.

'He's all right,' Wilf said dismissively. 'You coming in?'

The Doctor's eyes were on the door Rose and Jack had just stepped through. He drew a deep breath and looked at Wilf. 'Yeah,' the Doctor said, 'Keep those two out of trouble.'

'And you're really all right?'

The Doctor grinned, 'I'm always all right.'

\/\/

An hour later Jack found the Doctor sitting at a table stacked high with abandoned plates and glasses, staring with unseeing eyes at the dancers in front of him.

Wilf was sitting on the opposite side of the table, ostensibly chatting to an elderly lady, seemingly respectful of the Doctor's desire to brood in silence.

'_Hell with that.' _Jack thought, sitting down heavily beside the Doctor and picking up a half-full glass from the table. 'No offense,' he said conversationally, 'but you look like hell.' He considered his friend's profile. 'Or somewhere real close to it.'

'Where's Rose?'

'Over... There,' Jack said, waving a hand to where Rose was dancing with one of the groom's friends.

The Doctor watched her a moment, then sighed. 'I am utterly damned, Jack.'

'You been drinkin'?'

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, then jumped up, grabbing Jack's wrist and heading for the back of the room, pulling him around a corner and nearly crashing into a table covered in some kind of sticky, syrupy drink.

'Hey!' Jack exclaimed 'I left my drink!'

'Shh!' The doctor said producing the drink from a pocket, draining the contents and handing him the empty glass.

'You'll never guess what?' Donna's voice easily carried to the back of the room as she strode over to her mother. Around her people continued to dance, as though the reappearance of the bride wasn't wholly unexpected. 'Its only a sodding winning ticket! We were on our way to the hotel and I thought I'd check the numbers, just for a laugh and I'm rich! I'm goin' on a proper honeymoon! A proper honeymoon to-' she broke off, staring over her mother's shoulder.

Then she pushed past her mother, ignoring whatever Sylvia was saying to her. Jack and the Doctor followed her line of vision.

'Oh,' the doctor said. 'That's-'

'Bad?' Jack said as Donna reached Rose, only a few meters from their hiding place.

'Very bad.'

Donna was staring at Rose, who was wearing a deer in the headlights look that in other circumstances might have been quite endearing.

'Bad Wolf,' Donna said, her voice a hoarse whisper. Then she seemed to snap out of her trance and stepped forward hugging Rose tightly. She stepped back slightly, her hands on the younger woman's shoulders. 'I know I won't remember this, but tell him thanks.' She smiled. 'I'm so glad you're here. Keep him safe. Make sure he knows when to stop.'

Rose nodded, choked with tears. Then Donna stepped back slightly, blinked, and suddenly failed to see Rose. She turned and ran back to her mother, giggling excitedly about the ticket.

'Utterly, utterly, irredeemably damned,' the doctor muttered as Rose shook herself and looked around the room.

'You _have_ been drinking,'

''m not drunk. Rose shouldn't have been able to do that – make Donna forget she was there. She shouldn't have been able to get into my head, either. She saw everything, Jack. It's all there. in her head. One day soon she'll look at me, see that, and she'll be gone.'

You think she's that slow? If she was gonna leave-

'Worst part is I don't know if it was worth the cost. Any of it.'

Jack looked at his friend sternly. 'You wouldn't take back a single thing you've done. Not one thing. Everything you did, you did for a reason.'

'That's just what you tell yourself to explain the stuff I've done.'

'Seriously,' Jack said dryly, 'lay off the booze.'

The Doctor seemed to finally catch on to what he'd been saying and gave him a sarcastic look. 'I don't have to be drunk unless I want to be. Can drink as much as I like without any effect unless I want it to have one.'

Jack raised an eyebrow, 'Your point?'

The Doctor glared down at the table next to them to where Jack had absently traced a pattern in the nasty spilt drink. He froze. 'Why did you draw that?'

Jack looked down, seemingly only just noticing what he'd drawn. 'That? It's just a pattern I saw.'

The Doctor turned to face him, his dark gaze intense, almost panicked. 'Where? Jack, where did you see that?'

'What's the big deal? It's a tattoo on the back of Rose's neck. Right here,' he said running a finger through the base of his hairline.

'The big deal, captain, is- hang on... What were you doing looking at the back of Rose's neck?' The Doctor demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Jack would have laughed if the Doctor didn't look so worried. 'She tied her hair up.'

There was the impression of ruffled feathers being smoothed. Slightly. 'Yeah, well... Don't.'

'Sobered you up. What does it mean?'

The Doctor was suddenly avoiding his gaze, looking down at the symbol. 'Its... It's... Well. Depending on how you look at it, it's either Bad Wolf or-' he spun the table, sending liquid off the edges and splashing Jack. 'It's my name. That. Right there. My name.' He smiled at it, as though pleased to see it.

'What, like: Doctor?'

He shook his head, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. 'Nope. My _name_, Jack.'

Jack was momentarily nonplussed. 'Oh.'

'Oh indeed.'

'No chance she picked it off the wall in the tattoo place then?'

The Doctor snorted amusement at that. 'Doubtful.'

After a moment that saw them both staring down at the symbol in silence, Jack said, 'Bad wolf, huh? You'd think you'd have noticed that before.'

'I've been busy! And its not like I see it written down a lot. At all. Ever. Not for… longer than I care to remember.'

Jack raised an eyebrow, looking up at the Doctor's face. 'So what exactly is-'

'Not a chance,' the Doctor snapped, looking over his shoulder as Rose passed by.

Jack grinned. 'She's looking for you. Go talk to her.'

'It's wrong jack. She's human. Mostly human. Very human.'

'And…'

'_And_ I'm not? I'm a 900 year old Time Lord.' The Doctor said, as though it should be obvious.

'You ever notice how you get younger each time you give your age?' Jack grinned at the glare his friend sent him. 'What? You think you've got the market cornered in terms of having some serious mileage, yet still being insanely young looking and handsome?' The Doctor rolled his eyes. 'How old do you think I am?' Jack asked.

The Doctor looked up, studying Jack for a moment. 'I dunno… Three, Four hundred?'

'I'm older than you.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah. Oh.'

'I'm-'

'Don't you dare apologise,' Jack snapped. 'Most of it's been great. And I still love you both. I'm not gonna watch her walk away 'cos you're too hung up on yourself to do what the rest of the universe does every damn day.'

'And when she dies?' The Doctor said, his voice a whisper.

'Every damn day, Doctor.' Jack said, his tone softer this time. They both watched as an increasingly annoyed Rose stood on a chair to look for them among the partygoers. 'Way I see it,' Jack said, watching the Doctor closely, 'there's worse ways to be damned. I'm gonna go mingle. See you later.'

The Doctor watched him go, and then returned to watching Rose look for him, hidden in the shadows.

'He's right, you know,' Wilf said from behind him.

The Doctor didn't turn, kept his eyes on Rose.

'My wife died. Years ago now. Doesn't matter how long ago. One day or a thousand years. It'll always hurt just the same and it'll always have been worth it.' The Doctor turned to look at him, surprised. 'That girl,' Wilf said, nodding in the direction of the dance floor. 'That girl loves you Doctor. Every bit as much as you deserve. And more to the point you love her. You've never struck me as a coward. Even when you're terrified you do the right thing. You saved me. Saved Donna. You even tried to save that … Master bloke, didn't you?'

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.

'So this is where you've been hiding all night. You can come out now, you know, Donna's gone.'

He turned. Rose stood there, her hands on her hips and an annoyed expression on her face.

'I was just-'

'Have you seen Jack?' she interrupted. 'He promised he'd dance with me.'

The Doctor could feel Wilfred Mott's eyes boring into the back of his head. 'Nope,' he said.

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously then said, 'Well if you see him, tell him I'm looking for him.' She turned to walk away and the Doctor called out to her.

'Rose Tyler!'

She stopped and turned back to face him, her expression softer. 'Yes, Doctor?'

He was by her side in two long strides, grabbing her hand. 'Run!'

\/\/


	10. Your Song is Ending?

They ran around the edge of the dance floor, the Doctor holding Rose's hand tightly, as though afraid she'd let go. Suddenly he pulled her off to one side, behind a pillar. The space was less than he'd thought and they ended up pressed together, their clasped hands trapped between them.

'Doctor? Who are we hiding from?' Rose hissed, slightly breathless from the unexpected running.

He ignored her, too busy keeping a lookout. Then he took off again, pulling her along by the hand.

'Doctor!' Rose called as they reached the door to the garden. He reached inside his jacket and withdrew his key and aimed it at the TARDIS, opening the door remotely. Despite herself, Rose laughed.

'Knew you'd like that,' he said, gratified.

Relieved that he appeared to be talking again, Rose said, 'Why were we running? What are we doing?'

The Doctor dragged her inside the TARDIS, finally dropping her hand and running up the ramp, throwing himself into setting their destination. 'We were running, Rose Tyler, because with a bit of luck, no one'll notice we're gone until we're already back. As for what we're doing...' he fixed his gaze on her as he disengaged the handbrake. 'We're going to see some old friends.'

\/\/

The rough landing threw Rose against the railing. Before she could pull herself up, he was beside her, gently helping her to her feet, then refusing to let go of her hand again.

'Come on,' he said, pulling her towards the doors.

'Doctor,' she said seriously. When he ignored her again she pulled sharply on his hand. 'Doctor!' He finally turned to face her. 'Tell me what's happening.'

'You'll see,' he said, his voice still carrying that hint of mania that had been worrying her since they left the wedding. He raised an eyebrow at her, 'Trust me?'

She nodded and he dragged her through the doors. Rose gasped and shivered as the cold air hit her. They were surrounded by snow and were clearly not on Earth.

'Sorry,' the Doctor said, 'should have warned you about the weather.' He looked up as a figure approached. 'Ah… Ood Sigma, good of you to meet us. Lead on.'

The Ood inclined its head and turned, leading them away from the TARDIS.

'Doctor?' Rose said, uncertainty obvious in her voice. 'Why are we here?'

'We were going around telling everyone I didn't die or regenerate, yes?' She nodded. 'I thought since good old Ood Sigma here and his friends were the ones that told me I _was_ going to die, they might be interested to know I haven't.' The words were light-hearted enough, but Rose, looking up at his face, saw the stern set of his jaw and the coldness in his eyes. She shivered again. The Doctor pulled his key out and aimed it in the direction of the TARDIS, this time the ship emitted two beeps.

'Like a car…' Rose said, smiling despite the cold.

He looked down at her, the ghost of a smile in his eyes. 'Exactly like a car. Come on.' As they walked the Doctor pulled his coat off and draped it over Rose's shoulders.

\/\/

Rose couldn't tell how big the cave was. It _felt_ huge, but it was impossible to see in the near-darkness. They came to a stop in front of several Ood.

'Hello,' the Doctor said, 'you don't seem surprised to see me.'

'We are not surprised to see you, Doctor,' one of the Ood said.

'See, I think that's a bit odd, Ood. Do you know why I think that's odd?'

'We told you your song was ending.'

'You told me I was going to die,' the Doctor said, his voice flat and calm. Rose squeezed his hand, almost an automatic reaction to his tone. 'He will knock four times, you said. Well he knocked and yet here I am. Still alive. Still singing, whatever that's supposed to mean.'

'You wish for an explanation?'

'Yes!'

The Ood who had met them at the TARDIS spoke, 'When blinded by the storm we cannot see the approach of the wolf.'

'What?' the Doctor asked after a few seconds silence.

'When blinded by the storm-'

'I heard you. I want to know what you mean.'

Several Ood began to approach, each holding out a hand towards Rose. The Doctor pulled her closer, flush against his side, and started backing away. Two Ood appeared from behind them, grasping their free hands. Ood Sigma stepped forward, raising its hands to complete the circle.

'Don't!' the Doctor said.

Ood Sigma ignored him and joined hands with the other Ood. Everything went black. Rose could feel the Doctor struggling beside her, but in her head, the Ood spoke.

'_You brought her here, Doctor. The Bad Wolf. The Valiant Child. You seek understanding?'_

The Doctor's answer echoed though her mind. _'Yes.'_

'_The Ood only dream. Only hear echoes.'_

Rose's mind was suddenly assaulted by images. Fire and fire and fire. She felt sick, watching the fire, but her mind was cold. Her perspective reasserted itself and she saw… it was a planet. She was in the TARDIS, watching a planet burn on the viewscreen. And suddenly she knew where she was, what she was seeing. A part of her mind registered that the Doctor had gone completely still beside her. In her mind she heard his voice. '_Rose. Stop it. Stop it please.'_

Her hand – not her hand, definitely a man's hand – came to rest on the screen. _'No, no, no, no, no.'_ On the viewscreen the planet started to disintegrate.

Rose heard herself speak aloud. 'No.' Suddenly they were back in the cave. The three Ood who had made up the circle were lying on the floor several feet away. She looked down and saw the Doctor's hand was still clasped in her own. The Ood got to their feet, moving towards them once more. The Doctor shuddered.

'Leave him alone!' Rose said, stepping back and pulling him with her. She gasped as a memory took over her mind.

'_You were supposed to be home hours ago.' She looked up from her workstation to where her mother stood in the doorway, hands on hips, her expression furious. 'All that trouble to get to him before and he dumps you in bloody Norway with-'_

'_A metacrisis clone,' Rose supplied, going back to her work._

'_Exactly,' Jackie said, storming over to Rose. 'Look at me when I'm talking to you young lady.'_

_Rose ignored her. 'Rose Tyler! Its impossible. You can't do it just 'cos you want to. He-'_

'_You heard what he said, mum.'_

'_Which him? The one that died or the one that swanned off in the TARDIS?' Jackie snapped. 'He left you, Rose!'_

_Rose looked up from what she was doing. 'Mum-' before she could complete the sentence the object in her hands sparked, shocking her. Everything went dark._

_In the darkness, the Doctor's voice was loud._ '_I bet you're gonna have a really great year!' Rose awoke, tears rolling down her cheeks._

'_Rose, darlin' you're awake!' Jackie was sitting beside the bed, her makeup streaked down her face. 'You got a shock sweetheart… Rose?'_

_Rose was sobbing, gasping for breath. 'He's dying. He's alone and he's dying and he's so far away, mum.' _

'_You were dreaming, sweetheart. You were with him when he died, it was years ago. Remember?' Jackie sounded like she was pleading now, 'Norway?'_

_Rose stared at her. 'Not him. The Doctor.'_

'_I thought he **was** the Doctor.'_

'_The __**other**__ Doctor!' Rose appeared to realise something. 'Where's my key?'_

_Jackie looked at her for a moment, before reluctantly handing over the TARDIS key. Rose's hand closed over it, then she gasped, dropping it onto the bed, her hands reaching up to clasp her head._

'_That'll be the shock,' Jackie said, 'I'll call the doctor.' She winced, as though realising what she'd just said might have been the best idea._

_Rose's head snapped up. 'No! I know where he is. I saw him, mum.' She reached down and picked up the key again, closing her eyes and clenching her teeth as the headache rolled into her mind again. She looked up at Jackie, seeing the gold light she knew was burning in her eyes reflected in her mother's. 'I'm sorry. I love you.'_

Rose dropped the Doctor's hand, backing away from him. He stared at her for a moment, then seemed to recover himself. 'Rose, it's the smoke. From the fire,' he clarified, as though uncertain she could understand. 'It makes you see things…'

'That happened! It was real.' she said, hating herself for panicking. 'That was just before I…'

'I know.' He turned to the Ood. 'You didn't see… this?'

Ood Sigma spoke, 'The Bad Wolf-'

'_Rose_,' the Doctor corrected.

'-was not in our universe.'

'She was born here! And it seemed like everyone knew she was coming back before, when the stars were going out. Everywhere I went: "_she is returning"_,' he quoted.

'We are afraid, Doctor.'

'Afraid? Afraid of what?' The Doctor said, his tone softer, his gaze fixed on the Ood.

'The wolf. The Bad Wolf.' Every one of the Ood had their eyes fixed on Rose.

'She's not dangerous, she's Rose. And she would never hurt anyone.'

'She found the door between her world and yours and stepped through. She cannot be predicted. She holds the power of a TARDIS at her heart and does not burn. We are afraid. And so are you.'

Rose gasped. The Doctor whirled to see her staring at him, her features stunned. Then she turned and ran, back through the archway they'd passed through to enter this room.

The Doctor turned back to face the Ood. 'I am not afraid of Rose,' he said, discovering that the words were true as he said them. Not _of_. Definitely not afraid of Rose. _For _Rose, definitely. _Of_ himself, maybe.

'You fear the Wolf. The Howling. You walk through the stars and time and she runs through universes. You are afraid Doctor. We feel your fear.'

'You don't understand,' the Doctor said flatly. He sighed. 'I like you, Ood Sigma, and it would be a shame if we fell out, but you need to listen to me. I do not fear Rose-'

'You are afraid,' one of the Ood interrupted.

The Doctor sighed again, running a hand through his hair. 'Rose is not dangerous. Not something to be afraid of. Unless you upset her mum…' he trailed off, remembering the stricken look on Jackie's face as Rose disappeared. 'And there's not much chance of you doing that now, so, really… you have to trust me. Rose is not dangerous.'

He stared at them for a long moment, willing them to understand. To be something other than what they were for just a second. Then he shook his head and turned to leave, to follow Rose. Should have done that in the first place. Clearly he was out of practice travelling with someone.

Ood Sigma called after him, 'Doctor?'

He didn't turn, merely stopped where he was, suddenly exhausted. 'Yeah?'

Ood Sigma's next words were strange. It seemed to be speaking words it had heard but not understood. 'Remember that there are those who hunt wolves.'

\/\/


	11. Setting 1923

He walked into the Tardis, fully expecting to have to search for her. As it was, he found her in the console room, sitting on the floor, her back against the console. His coat was still wrapped around her shoulders.

'That can't be comfortable,' he observed, at a loss for anything else to say. When she didn't respond, or even look at him, he sank down next to her, stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankle.

'Straightened things out with the Ood,' he said conversationally.

'You're afraid of me,' she said, her voice distant.

'No,' he replied, his tone firm.

'They said you were.'

'And if an Ood says it it _must_ be true. That it?'

'Doctor,' she said impatiently. 'This thing in my head… It's dangerous. _I'm_ dangerous.'

'Nah. You're Rose. You're brilliant.'

'They were afraid of me. No one's ever been afraid of me before. Not really. And they were right, weren't they? I shouldn't be here. Shouldn't have been able to save you. It's too much power. But I would have done anything to get to you. Didn't even stop to think about the universes and all that. I'm dangerous.'

'A loose canon,' he said sagely. When she didn't respond he sighed. 'More dangerous than me? You saw what I did, Rose. To my own people. And I wiped out the Daleks. An entire race. Although that one never seems to stick.'

She drew a shaky breath. 'So did I. I killed all the daleks. Made 'em never exist. Genocide, you said, when you - the other you - did the same thing.'

He wanted to grab her shoulders, make her look at him. Instead, he repeated himself. 'I'm not afraid of you, Rose.'

'Yeah you are.'

'Nope. Bit too much like a fairytale for my liking. Who's afraid of the big Bad Wolf?' She did look at him then, rolling her eyes. 'Sorry,' he offered, only half apologetic. At least she was looking at him now. Oh... maybe not.

She looked down at her hands where they rested in her lap. 'My mum was right. I'm not me anymore. Not Rose Tyler. Not _human_.' Her last words were spoken in a whisper, as though she was afraid to say them.

He bit down on his irrational anger with Jackie Tyler and kept his voice light. 'When did she say that?'

'Just before... Canary Wharf.'

He regarded the top of her head for a moment, then he reached into his pocket, pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned her face. 'Nope,' he said, switching it off. 'Still human. Just... upgraded.' He winced. 'Sorry. Bad choice of words. Terrible. Still... one hundred per cent Rose Tyler.'

She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, a slight smile playing around her lips. 'You have a setting for that on your sonic?'

He beamed back at her. 'Oh yes. Setting 1923- check for presence of Rose Tylerness. Very important setting.'

'Use it a lot, do you?' She laughed, then sobered abruptly. 'You were hiding from me. At Donna's wedding.'

'Yeah. Well… Not hiding exactly. Not very manly, is it? Hiding. What I was doing was more like... sulking,' he admitted.

She turned her head to look at him, surprised he'd admitted it. 'Why?'

He suddenly found he was having trouble talking. She was looking up at him, expecting an answer and his throat appeared to have closed. Inconvenient. He cleared his throat and tried again. 'Since you.. Since the Dalek Crucible... I've made mistakes Rose. So many mistakes.' His next words came out in a whisper and he didn't know what they were going to be before he'd said them. 'Its like I can't stop myself.' He shuddered and ran a hand through his hair.

Rose reached up and took it.

'_You can't decide what's best for her! For me!' The blue suited Doctor was pacing the small room, watched by his Time Lord counterpart._

'_I can.' _

'_Why? Because you're a Time Lord? So am I!'_

'_Not completely. Half human. One heart. __**Not**__ a Time Lord. You're not thinking clearly.'_

'_She'll never stay with me. __Given the choice she's got **I **__wouldn't stay with me. And I **am** me.'_

'_You're me.'_

_The human Doctor stared at his counterpart for a moment, his jaw slack. Then, 'Yes. I am you. And I know what you're thinking. You can't expect me to believe you'll just go. Not after… I wouldn't just go.'_

'_You're human.'_

'_Part human.'_

_The Doctor shrugged. 'Whatever. I'll leave. I have to. I love her too much to keep her here, not when she could have-' he waved a hand at his clone._

Rose opened her eyes and withdrew her hand, staggering to her feet and away from him. His coat slipped to the floor. 'You-'

He pulled himself to his feet, following her. He grabbed both her hands, interlocking their fingers.

_Pain. So much pain. Physical pain. Blood all over her face. His face. He was pointing a gun at someone. _

'_The Master,' he says in her mind. His memory supplies images of the Master. His friend. His best friend. His best enemy. The __**other**__ Time Lord. Two boys waiting to be taken to see the untempered schism. Sitting in chairs they are too short for, laughing softly together until the stern gaze of their tutor silences them. Fighting. Always fighting one another. Until there was no one else. The Master, dying in the Doctor's arms. _

_The Master spoke, 'He's to blame, not me! Oh! The link is inside my head! Kill me, the link gets broken, they go back.' The Doctor's hand tensed around the gun. She could feel the metal against her own skin. Wrong. So wrong. 'You never would, you coward!'_

_He was looking at a woman. Watching as she slowly lowered her hands from her eyes and returned his gaze, a tear sliding down her face. _

_Fire. Not the fire of Gallifrey burning, although it hurt just as much. The device. _

_The Doctor spoke, the dark triumph in his voice that had been there too often of late. 'The link is broken! Back into the Time War, Rassilon! Back into Hell!_'

'_You die with me, Doctor!' The President raised his gloved hand, aiming at the Doctor_

_Behind the triumph, she could feel the Doctor's exhaustion. Acceptance. 'I know.'_

Rose opened her eyes, still seeing the images in her mind, but now confusingly able to see his face, here in the TARDIS. Less than 72 hours after the events playing through her mind. He was watching her intently.

'Doctor-' she began.

'Shh. Not yet.' He cut her off, flooding her mind with new images.

'_I'm alive!' He scrambled up slightly, 'I'm still alive.' She could feel his brain working, trying to assimilate the idea._

_Then, in the silence, four knocks. Wilf was knocking on the inside of the booth. Trapped. Of course he was. Fixed point in time, this. Had to be. How else could everyone have seen it? Everyone but him. _

_He was standing in front of the booth, holding his sonic screwdriver. Useless thing. Stupid item. Junk._

'_I'm sorry,' Wilf said, 'Look, just leave me.'_

_The Doctor smiled then, the expression bitter. Twisted somehow. Okay, right then, I will. 'Cos you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh yes!' She felt the moment it clicked in his head. Felt the anger and the resignation build in equal force. ''Cos that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for me, all this time.'_

_'No, really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Doctor. I've had my time.'_

'_Well, exactly, look at you. Not remotely important!' The Doctor raged, wondering if the anger would be enough to let him walk out of this room. To **run**. 'But me? I could do so much more! So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. __**And it's not fair**__!' He began to sob, gasping for breath, already knowing he couldn't leave. He reached over and shoved some papers off a desk. Furious at his own inability to leave. _

_The pain. The radiation, burning him from the inside. He lay on the floor of the booth, curled up against the onslaught. Rose could feel the pain as if it were shooting through her. She felt her knees buckle as though to allow her to sink to the floor and curl up too._

It stopped. She was standing in the TARDIS, gasping for breath amid the tears that were streaking down her face. She looked down at her hands, realising they were still entwined with his, but didn't seem to be about to produce any more nightmare visions.

Suddenly she was driven back until she was pressed against the console. The Doctor was pressed against her front, his hands dropping hers hastily and skating up over her sides until they were framing her face. He was whispering something, the same words over and over. As he came closer, drawing her mouth up to meet his own, she heard.

'_I'm sorry.'_

Then his lips were working against hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth while his hands held her in place.

\/\/


	12. Ood Obsessed

Rose's hands were pressed against his chest; she could feel the beat of his hearts picking up. Seeming to sense that a lack of oxygen would shortly become a problem for her, the Doctor dropped his face to her neck, making her moan involuntarily when his tongue flicked against her pulse.

'What are you doing?' She asked, immediately wondering why.

He drew back and looked at her for a moment, raising his eyebrows. 'Would have thought that was obvious.'

'Well… yeah,' she admitted. He went back to pressing little kisses to her neck. 'But,' Rose managed, 'why?'

'I wanted to show you…. I thought I could make you understand, make you see what happened. What I did – what they did – what I am,' he murmured against her neck, making her shiver and her fingers twist in his jacket. He stepped back from her, leaving her leaning against the console. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he went on, 'I'm a Time Lord, just like them-'

'No. No you're not. You would never… you stopped them.'

His eyes closed for a moment, then he opened them and looked at her, his eyes intent on hers. 'I wanted you to see, but instead of that, _I_ saw! Brilliant!' He grinned at her.

Rose couldn't help but grin back. 'You saw what?'

'I saw you. What you did. Everything you did,' he said, his voice softer now, ' I saw what you see. Everything you've seen, in your head and out there,' he nodded at the TARDIS doors, contriving to indicate the universe as a whole. 'After everything you've seen me do, you look at me and you see the same thing I see when I look at you.'

'And what do you see when you look at me?' She asked, dropping her eyes to his chest, unable to meet his gaze.

'Rose Tyler.'

"Yeah?' she asked, keeping her eyes on his shirt buttons.

He tilted her face up slightly. 'That's what I see. Not the Bad Wolf, the Valiant Child or any of the other nifty titles you seem to be so good at picking up.'

'You can talk.'

'Yes,' he said, 'I can. Although… I can think of other things I'd rather do just now.'

She looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly. She tried again. 'Doctor, the Ood said-'

'The Ood again?' he asked, exasperated. 'You're Ood obsessed, Rose Tyler. Oh, I like that… Ood Obsessed-' he broke off as he caught her miming the words _Ood Obsessed _as he said them. 'Oi!'

'Sorry,' she said, smirking slightly, 'you're just a bit predictable.' He looked hurt. 'With words… you know…'

'Predictable?'

She shrugged, still smirking at him. His eyes darkened and the set of his shoulders shifted, his posture becoming ever so slightly predatory. Too late, Rose thought about the fact that he'd been kissing her, pressing her into the console and doing some very interesting things with his tongue. She narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to back down. 'If you're just gonna stand there all day maybe we should be gettin' back, yeah? Don't wanna keep Jack waitin' around for that dance…'

He froze for a moment, and then strode to the console, hands running over the controls fluidly, keeping his eyes on hers as she turned to follow him. He paused before sending the TARDIS on its way, still studying her intently. 'You know,' he began, making his way slowly back to her. 'We could go back…' He was standing millimetres away now, but not touching her, very carefully keeping himself back. His voice was pitched very low, making her shiver. 'Right now… we _could _go back to Earth and I'm sure Jack's a very good dancer-'

'He is,' she said, more to relieve the tension than anything else.

'_But! _But… if we go back now, right now… Well…'

Rose realised she was trembling slightly. He could definitely feel that, she mused, wondering why she didn't feel more embarrassed. She cleared her throat. 'Well what, Doctor?' His eyes really were impossibly dark, she thought, looking up at him. Like space. All dark with brilliant points of light deep inside.

Suddenly, he was moving, one of his hands sliding around her waist, pressing against her spine beneath her shirt. The other was at her hip, fingers slipping through the belt loop in her jeans, yanking her body against his. He tilted his head until his lips were gently brushing hers, 'If we go back now, I won't get to do this.' Then he was kissing her again, differently this time, gentler. But behind the control, she could sense need, desperation.

She heard herself moan against his mouth and raised her own hands, making short work of the buttons on his suit jacket. Then she slid her hands inside, gripping his shirt and pulling him towards herself, not quite understanding that he couldn't _get_ any closer. Nevertheless he echoed her moan and stepped towards her, forcing her backwards. She stumbled slightly and he caught her, laughing softly.

'Sorry.'

'S'alright,' she said, slurring slightly.

He stepped back again, releasing her and annoying her in one smooth move. 'So…' he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels, 'Earth? Wedding reception? Jack?' He tilted his head to one side. 'Or…?'

'Or,' she said. She stepped forwards and grabbed his tie, pulling him back to her. 'Definitely or!'

\/\/

Jack was leaning against the garden wall when the TARDIS rematerialised. He watched them stumble out, Rose giggling and leaning against the Doctor for support.

The Doctor spotted him over Rose's shoulder and straightened, nudging Rose in the ribs.

Jack pushed off the wall, glaring at them.

The Doctor looked as though he was trying not to laugh. He bumped his shoulder against Rose's. 'Looks like we've upset your dance partner.' Rose giggled softly.

'You've been gone nearly half an hour!' Jack said.

'Half an hour?' the Doctor repeated. 'Can't have been.' Jack held out a wrist, showing the Doctor his watch. The Doctor pulled a face. 'Blimey.' He looked up at Jack. 'Sorry,' he said brightly, 'lost track of time.'

'I'll leave you two to it, shall I? Think I left my coat…' Rose said, clearly trying not to laugh. She pushed past the Doctor and headed through the doors.

'Thanks,' the Doctor muttered, watching her go. He turned back to Jack, who smirked at him. 'What?'

'Your tie's undone,' Jack said, nodding towards it.

'Right,' the Doctor said, his hand grabbing one end of the tie and pulling it free from his collar. 'Yes. Course it is! Had to… had to-' He glared at Jack. 'Shut up.'

'Didn't say a word, Doctor.' Jack grinned. The Doctor stared at him a moment then turned, following Rose.

'I guess this means I don't get my dance?' Jack called after him.


	13. Gold

Jack made his way through the TARDIS, taking care to tread quietly. The reception had been fun, with the added bonus that he got to tease the Doctor mercilessly. And he'd danced with Rose. He liked dancing with Rose. He especially liked dancing with Rose and then catching the Doctor's eye when his friend glanced up from his conversation with Wilfred. Most often the Doctor had been watching Rose, but had occasionally met Jack's eyes, then rolled his own in response to Jack's lascivious grin.

All too soon they'd been heading back to the TARDIS, the Doctor wearing a bemused expression as a result of the hug he'd received from Donna's mother. When they were inside the Doctor had sent them spinning into the vortex, then he and Jack followed Rose to the kitchen. They'd sat drinking tea, Jack regaling them with stories of his exploits over the last few years, making Rose choke on her tea more than once. The Doctor had kept up his side of the conversation, but his eyes were guarded, his hand rarely straying from Rose's where it lay on the tabletop.

Then Rose had stood and stretched and declared she was going to bed. When she left the room the Doctor followed her with his eyes only. Then he seemed to come back to himself and stood, muttering something about the console room before heading off.

And now Jack was heading for the console room himself. He'd tried to keep away, had managed to keep himself entertained for a whole hour, in fact. But now he needed company and the Doctor was the only one awake.

The lights in the console room were dimmed, all green and blue. The Doctor was sitting on the jump seat, his feet resting on the console. He was turning something over and over in his hands, looking at it from various different angles. 'Can't sleep?' he called over his shoulder.

Jack, vaguely surprised that he'd been detected, stepped further into the room, coming to lean against the console. 'I don't sleep, much. Not since Satellite Five.'

The Doctor looked at him over the top of his glasses. 'No,' he said, 'Don't suppose you do.'

'So…' Jack said, crossing his arms. 'You wanna tell me why you're in here, rather than-'

'You wanna tell me the results of that medical scan you ran on Rose at the kitchen table?' The Doctor interrupted, his gaze going back to the object in his hands. His psychic paper, Jack realised.

'You saw that, huh?' When the Doctor didn't respond, he shrugged. 'I wanted to make sure she was okay. That she's going to be okay.'

'And?'

'And… nothing. I can't pick up anything. She's perfect.'

'Yes,' the Doctor said slowly, 'she is.' He sighed.

Jack cocked his head to one side, expecting the Doctor to read the unspoken question, but the Time Lord just continued turning the psychic paper in his hands. 'Here's a question,' Jack began, 'why'd you leave her on the parallel world? I heard your _discussion_ with your clone,' he said, at the Doctor's look. 'But… why? When I saw you… before the year that never was… I thought you would have done anything to have her back, then you go and leave her where you can't ever see her again.'

The Doctor looked up, evidently surprised. 'I… Davros was right about me, Jack.'

'Huh? How d'you figure?' Jack asked, nonplussed by the direction the conversation was taking.

'I never carry a weapon. Just these,' the Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from his inside pocket and held it with the psychic paper, staring down at them both intently. 'I don't need to. I take the people around me and I change them. Make them into weapons.'

'Doctor…' Jack began sternly.

'Martha was training to be a doctor when I met her. Now she's a soldier.'

'She's a doctor, too,' Jack said reasonably.

'Mickey, Martha, Sarah Jane… you.'

'I was a soldier before we met, Doctor.'

'A bad one,' the Doctor countered, still not looking up. 'Couple of trips with me and you're leading the charge against the Daleks. Fast-forward a few years and you're threatening to detonate a warp star.' He sighed and put the sonic back in his pocket. 'The first time Rose came back to this universe she was carrying a gun. I didn't even think about it at the time. About what it meant. Not until Davros made it so obvious. So I left her with me… _him_. To make him better. To stop her becoming… because I couldn't bear that, Jack. Not that. Not her. Not because of me.' He delivered the last words in a hushed whisper, his voice hoarse. 'I had to leave her there. Away from me.'

Jack thought about this for a moment. Then, 'You're an idiot.' The Doctor glared up at him. 'Doctor, she's _Rose_. She saved you. You said it yourself. She took on the time vortex and what was her first order of business? To bring me back to life. Granted she built better than she knew, but still… it's the thought that counts.'

'I know all of that!' The Doctor snapped. Then, as abruptly as it had arrived, the anger was gone. He seemed to settle. 'I should never have left her there, Jack. It almost destroyed me.'

Jack found himself staring at his friend again, at a loss for words. 'What are you looking at?' He asked finally. More for something to say than anything else.

Wordlessly, the Doctor handed him the psychic paper. Jack looked at it, seeing the symbols he'd drawn on the table earlier. The Doctor's name. From another angle, Bad Wolf. 'I guess you didn't ask her about it?' The Doctor shook his head. Jack stared at him for a moment. 'You _are_ an idiot.'

'I let you get away with that once, Jack. Don't push your luck.'

'Its not often I get to say it,' Jack shrugged. 'Did you two not do any talking while you were gone?'

'We talked!' the Doctor protested.

'About?'

'The Ood upset her.'

Jack laughed at that, making the Doctor stare at him incredulously. 'Here I thought you two were… and instead you took her to see the Ood? That's pretty funny.' He sobered at the Doctor's expression. 'Not funny?'

'Not funny,' the Doctor confirmed. 'They upset her.' He repeated.

'So… you didn't ask her about it?'

'Nope. Not even sure what I could say, really,' the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck, his expression distant.

'I can think of a few choice phrases if you need help,' Jack offered, smirking. He handed the psychic paper back. 'Seriously, what are you doing in here?'

The Doctor didn't speak for a moment. Then: 'The Ood said she was in danger. Said that there are people out there, ' he gestured at the TARDIS doors, 'who hunt wolves.'

'That what upset her?'

'No. She doesn't know.'

Jack sighed. 'When you two practically fell out of the TARDIS you were both embarrassingly cute and insanely hot. Now Rose is in her room and you're in here, pretending to be doing something important and Time Lordy when we both know where you'd rather be. Like nothing happened. I thought you'd finally worked out that there are some things you shouldn't run from.' He glared at the Doctor, who returned the glare full force. 'I've lived a long time Doctor, longer than you, even. I've had a lot of time to think. Haven't changed much, in all these years. But I know a thing or two. Before, I would have said that Rose would wait for you forever, would just be happy to be here, on the TARDIS, with you. But now? Now she's learned to live without you? You're pushing your luck, Doctor.' Jack pushed away from the console and strode past the Doctor, heading back into the ship.

The Doctor stared down at the psychic paper. Then, apparently reaching a decision, flipped the case closed and followed Jack out of the room, his feet dragging him through the corridors until he reached Rose's bedroom door. She was asleep. He knew that. The TARDIS had always dimmed the lights when Rose slept. Funny how he'd forgotten that until now. He wondered how much else he'd forgotten.

He opened the door, slowly, half expecting the anachronistic hinges to creak and give him away. Once inside the room, he closed the door behind him. He looked around the room, noting that it looked exactly the same as it had hours before, when he'd brought her in here, unconscious in his arms.

The room was heavy with her scent. He could smell the water and soap smell from the shower she must have taken before going to bed. He looked over at the bed, to where she was sleeping on her side. Her hair was scattered across the pillow, one arm was raised above her head, her cheek resting against it. The fingers of her extended arm twitched involuntarily every few seconds. He unfroze and walked across the room, staring down at her. Unbidden, his mind bombarded him with images of them, together in the console room. He could hear her gasping, feel her hands against his skin, tangled in his hair.

She sighed and turned over, facing away from considered her bare shoulder for a moment. Then he was removing his shoes, pulling his jacket and tie off and dropping them on the floor. He lowered himself onto the bed carefully, his arm sliding around her waist automatically. She shifted slightly, making more room for him on the bed, but he followed her, staying pressed against her back. He wanted to move her hair aside, to see what Jack had said was there, but couldn't.

'Hello,' he heard her murmur sleepily.

'Hello,' he responded. He frowned. 'Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you up.'

''m not used to strange men getting into my bed in the middle of the night, Doctor,' she sounded amused.

'Oh… Well… Good.' She chuckled at that, the movement of her body against him sending urgent signals to his brain. He was silent for a few moments, then: 'You awake?'

'Yeah,' she said, sounding more awake than she should have been.

He should probably feel guilty about that, he thought. He ran his hand up her body, bringing it to rest on her shoulder and pulling gently, needing to see her face. She turned to look at him.

'You all right?' she asked, studying his expression in the dim light of the room.

He shoved a hand in his trouser pocket, bringing the psychic paper out. He flipped it open. 'Have you ever seen this before?' he asked.

She studied the symbols on the page. 'Looks like the writing on the monitor in the console room,' she said, shrugging slightly. 'You know the TARDIS doesn't translate that for me.'

He nodded. 'Its Gallifreyan.' Then he sighed, watching as his breath ruffled her hair gently. 'Jack says you have a tattoo. On the back of your neck.'

She shook her head. 'No.'

'You sure?' he asked.

She smiled at that. 'Think I'd remember that, Doctor.'

'Can I see?' he asked.

She shot him a look he hadn't seen in years. The one that said she'd do her best not to laugh at him being crazy, but she couldn't promise anything. He returned it with one of his own. The one that said he was from a vastly superior race and that it was important – absolutely _imperative_ – that he analyse this traffic sign by tasting it.

She grinned at that, her tongue poking out at him. Unable to resist, he ducked his head and kissed her, gently, slowly. She glared at him when he pulled back.

'Can I see?' he asked again.

She sighed. 'Where's this tattoo supposed to be then?'

'Back of your neck.'

She turned, her pyjama-clad form rubbing against him in a way he was sure couldn't be accidental. Then she took hold of her hair, pulling it over her shoulder. He stared at her neck. That wasn't a tattoo. Not an Earth tattoo, anyway. Not by a long shot.

She sensed his stillness. 'Doctor? What is it?'

'It's my name,' he said finally, his voice hoarse. 'My name is on your neck. In gold.'


	14. Magic Eye

He stood, pulling her with him towards the full-length mirror on the wall. He placed her in front of it, grabbed a hand mirror and held it behind her head, angling it so she could see the back of her neck.

She stared at her reflection, her eyes widening. 'What is it?' she asked, finally.

'You don't know?'

'Don't you?'

'No!' He said, realising as the word came out that he'd answered just a little too quickly.

Rose narrowed her eyes at his reflection. 'Doctor?'

'It's my name, Rose,' he murmured. 'You don't even_ know_ my name.' He sighed and handed her the psychic paper again. 'That way up, its my name. He reached around her and turned the wallet in her hands. 'That way up… that way up its Bad Wolf.'

'Bad Wolf…' she repeated. He glanced at her sharply, scanning her eyes. She glared at him. 'You'd think you would have noticed this before,' she said, waving the psychic paper.

'Don't start. I haven't seen it written down in a long time, Rose.'

'How long?' she asked.

'Too long,' he admitted, staring at the back of her neck again. 'Does it hurt?'

'No,' she murmured, watching his reflection carefully. 'If it says Bad Wolf... Does that mean I put it there? Like I did everywhere else?'

He looked intrigued. 'I honestly haven't the faintest. Shouldn't think so though... If you did it, it would be in English. Everywhere else you wrote it it was in English... Except-' he broke off, staring at nothing. She waited. 'Except maybe this isn't a message for you...'

He reached up, wanting to touch the mark.

'Think that's a good idea, do you?'

'It's _my_ name,' he said, almost childishly, his gaze not shifting from the golden lettering.

'Mine too,' she whispered, her voice so low he barely heard her. As his fingers drew close to her neck, Rose gasped. 'Oh!'

He jumped, stepping back from her. 'What?'

'When I woke up, after I first got here, my neck was hurting!'

'Of course! Wait. So? So what?'

'No, listen. 'Cos I thought it was just that I'd slept funny – what if it wasn't? What if everything I did… what if that's what made the mark?'

He shook his head, 'Still doesn't explain why – or how – it's my name.' He reached out quickly and ran his fingers over the mark. It was warmer than the skin around it, and it made his fingers tingle, as though there was a charge there. Rose moaned. He looked up at her reflection and saw her eyes had closed.

He stared at the mark. His name. On her neck. Both their names. Written in what had to be… he ran to his jacket and grabbed his sonic screwdriver, returned to stand behind Rose and found her flashing him a knowing grin in the mirror.

'Sorry,' he said, holding the sonic up so she could see.

'Took you long enough,' she said, amusement dancing in her eyes. 'I was startin' to worry about you.'

'Stay still.' He raised the sonic to her neck, running a quick scan and frowning at the result.

'So?' she asked.

_You have another choice to make_. The words came unbidden to his mind, wrapping him in the memory of the moment. The Bad Wolf, telling him she would protect herself from him if necessary. Protect Rose. Another choice. He'd had to choose to allow her to save him. To stop him regenerating. That, at least, had been a clear choice. What was the choice here? Between Rose and the Bad Wolf?

'Doctor?' she prompted, the hand holding her hair out of the way dropped to her side and her hair swung back into place, covering the mark. Her eyes were fixed on his reflection.

He didn't respond, his mind running faster than light. Couldn't be between them. They were the same, she'd told him so. Over and over again, she'd told him. On Satellite Five, when he'd left her in Bad Wolf Bay, when she'd sent him a message through Donna. The Ood knew. They looked at Rose and saw the Wolf. Like those magic eye things. See the pattern and the picture, both at the same time. Can't see one without seeing the other. Can't have the picture without the pattern.

What was the choice? Same choice he'd always had. Easy, really. Especially now. Nothing simpler. _But_… what about her? She deserved a choice.

He had to say something. Had to offer her this. No matter how much it hurt to do it again. He cleared his throat, looking at her reflection. 'I'm not the same as I was before, Rose. Its been-'

'I know.'

Her eyes met his in the mirror and he looked away hurriedly. Concentrating on the mark on the back of her neck he could no longer see.

'I don't know if I can-'

'I _know.'_

He looked at her then, needing to say more. 'You're not the same either. Jack said it. You know how to live without me. 's something I never worked out. I missed you. So much. Too much. And now you're here and I'm not the same.'

'I love you.'

He stared at her reflection. Shocked at the simplicity of her statement.

Then he stepped forward, one hand resting against her hip, holding her in place as she started to turn towards him, the other coming up to brush her hair aside. Then he pressed his lips to the mark, opening his mouth slightly to let his tongue run over it. Rose sagged against him and he snaked his arm around her waist, anchoring her body to his.

He drew back, allowing Rose to turn in the circle of his arms. He ducked his head to kiss her but she moved back slightly, looking up at him expectantly.

'Well?' she asked.

'Well _what_?' he returned, slightly put out.

She smirked at him. 'D'you think you can keep your mind on the matter at hand?' she asked. He shifted his stance slightly, pressing against her more closely. 'For a minute at least?'

He blinked at her, momentarily nonplussed. 'It's the Time Vortex. That gold stuff. The heart of a TARDIS. _This_ TARDIS.' He stepped back from her, turning and walking away a few steps. He threw his sonic screwdriver onto her bedside table. 'I don't know why and I don't know how. Its like permanent marker, though,' he said, turning to face her again, 'you're stuck with it. Sorry.'

'S'not so bad…' she said, shrugging.

'Could be a talking point at parties…' he allowed, watching her closely.

'Least now when people ask your name I could show 'em,' she said. 'Course… they'd have to learn to read your language, but still…'

'Don't you dare!' He said, making her grin at him in response. 'So… not so bad?' She shook her head. 'Come here.'

She moved until she was standing in front of him, looking up at his face. He placed his hands on either side of her face, his fingertips sliding into her hair, and kissed her, sliding his tongue into her mouth when she gasped.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. 'I should really go…' he said, 'try to figure this out.'

She raised an eyebrow at him. 'Go on then,' she challenged, jerking her head in the direction of the door.

Suddenly, he picked her up, spinning with her and throwing her down onto the bed, covering her body with his own. 'Maybe later,' he murmured against her throat.

\/\/


	15. Those Who Hunt Wolves

When Rose awoke the room was barely lit. She was draped across the Doctor, her head on his chest and one of her legs lying across both of his. He appeared to be naked. And reading a book. Had he left to get a book? Couldn't have – he would be dressed if that were the case. Ok… so naked, reading a book he'd found... in her room? Oh, no.

As though hearing her thoughts, he spoke. 'Interesting reading material,' he said, his voice making his chest vibrate against her ear. 'Millions of books in the TARDIS library, and you're reading Jackie Collins.'

'Shut up!' she said, digging her index finger into his ribs. He took one hand from the book and captured hers before she could tickle him properly. She looked up at him and saw he was wearing his glasses, his eyes intent on the text in front of him. 'I'm not reading it, anyway. Haven't been here _to_ read it.'

'You _were_ reading it though,' he said, turning a page, the corners of his mouth quirking slightly as though he were trying not to smile.

She shivered slightly, realising they were still on top of the duvet. He dropped the book to the floor and picked something up from the floor. Then he sat up, dislodging her slightly. 'Here. Arms up.' He was holding something out to her – his t-shirt. She stretched her arms up and he pulled it over her head, grinning at her when she reappeared. Then he reached over her, captured the edge of the duvet and pulled it over them. The end result of this was that Rose was rolled until she was lying on top of him. He grinned again. 'Hello.'

Her response was automatic. 'Hello.' Wriggling slightly, she reached up and pulled his glasses off, putting them on the bedside table. 'Not that I'm complaining or anythin', but… why are you still here? Thought you'd be in the console room or somethin'.'

'Well… not much to do there until you wake up and decide where we're going, thought I might as well stay here. Catch up on my reading.'

She felt herself blushing and looked away, her eyes drifting to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, the embrace somehow unfamiliar with their lack of clothing.

'So…' he began. Before he could continue the TARDIS lurched and they were thrown from the bed, landing in a tangle of limbs and duvet on the floor.

The Doctor stood, somehow managing to drag his trousers on and pull Rose to her feet in one swift move.

'What's happening?' she asked.

'We're being pulled out of the vortex, like we've got a course. I left us floating in the vortex; suddenly we've got a course. Jack!'

Jack's voice floated into the room over the comm. system. 'Yeah?'

Rose found her underwear and jeans and pulled them on.

'Did you set a course?'

'No,' Jack responded. 'Take it you didn't either?'

'Nope.'

When Rose turned back he was starting to button his shirt, his feet already in his trainers, although the laces were still untied. He left the shirt done up at four buttons and grabbed her hand, dragging her towards him and kissed her, steadying her as the TARDIS lurched again.

'See you in a minute?' he asked, stepping back and heading for the door.

'You sure you wanna go out there like that?' Rose asked, grinning at him. He looked back at her, confused. She swept her eyes over him, smiling at the picture he made. The combination of his insane bed hair, the half-buttoned, partially tucked-in shirt and the unlaced converses made her want to drag him back into the bed. Just as she was contemplating it, Jack's voice came over the comm. again.

'Uh… Doctor? You better get up here.'

The Doctor turned and hurried away, leaving Rose to dress.

\/\/

Jack was already in the console room when the Doctor arrived, moving around the central console with something approaching the Time Lord's own manic energy. He didn't look up as the Doctor joined him.

'Not sure where we're goin', but we're going somewhere,' he observed.

The Doctor pulled the screen towards him, studying the read out as his hands moved over the controls. 'We haven't got a course,' he said. 'Its like she's trying to get away from something, but there's nothing pursuing. Hang on.' The turbulence stopped, throwing Jack against the console. 'Sorry,' the Doctor said, turning to look at Jack, who was staring at him. 'What?'

'Nothin',' Jack said, amused. 'I take it you went to see Rose?'

The Doctor looked down at himself, taking in the state of his attire. 'How d'you know I wasn't in the shower?'

'Sorry, Doc. Your hair, while interesting, isn't wet.'

The Doctor reached up, touching his hair gingerly. Then he glared at Jack. 'As I was _saying_ – we don't have a course. Bit like when you tried to hitch a lift.'

'The TARDIS took us to the end of the universe.'

'That where we are?' Rose asked, entering the console room.

Jack looked up at her, his mouth open and a wicked glint in his eye. 'Glad you could join us, Miss Tyler. Have trouble finding your clothes?'

'Jealous?' she shot back.

'Always,' Jack grinned.

'When you two have finished-' the Doctor began, only to be interrupted by the ringing of a mobile phone.

'That's not me,' Rose said, looking around. She picked up the small silver phone from the console. 'Whose is this?'

'Mine,' the Doctor said, stepping forward and taking it. 'Well, Martha's.' He answered. 'Hello? Martha! What-' he paused, evidently Martha was talking. 'All _three_ of you? Who's the third?' He listened for a few seconds, then his expression became stormy. 'Martha, listen to me. It's important, _vitally_ important that she doesn't remember anything about me, or her time in the TARDIS. You can't talk to her about it. Can she hear you now?' Suddenly, his face went completely blank. 'They said what? Martha what exactly did they say? … I'm on my way to you now. Keep quiet. Don't speak to Donna if you can help it. Don't say _any_thing to them.'

He hung up, staring unseeing at the time rotor for several seconds. Rose moved to his side, taking his hand. He blinked and looked down at her, his face unreadable.

'Doctor?' Jack asked quietly.

The Doctor sprang to life, moving towards the console and throwing switches, his left hand still clasped in Rose's.

'Doctor?' she called. 'What's happening?'

He stopped and looked down at her again. 'When you first arrived, after you healed me, we crash landed, remember?' she nodded. 'Those people we met-' she shivered slightly and Jack saw the Doctor's hand tighten on hers convulsively. 'Those people have Martha, Mickey and Donna as well. They went to Earth and took them.' Followed the signature of the TARDIS.'

'How'd they do that?' Jack asked.

'I have _no _idea,' the Doctor said, his eyes not leaving Rose's face.

'We're gonna save 'em though, yeah?' Rose asked.

'Course,' he responded. 'Rose I need you to promise me something. When we get there, when we get where we're going… promise me you'll stay here. Inside the TARDIS. I need you to promise me.'

She opened her mouth, looking as though she wanted to protest.

'_Please_, Rose. Promise me.'

She stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. He nodded too, then turned back to the console, keying in their course.

'Why have they taken them? Are they trying to get to you?' Rose asked. 'Aren't we just flying into a trap?'

Jack saw the Doctor glance at her out of the corner of his eye. He met the Doctor's eyes, flicked his own gaze to Rose. The Doctor nodded almost imperceptibly.

'Do you two think I'm blind or something?' Rose asked, glaring at both of them.

The Doctor sighed. 'They want you, Rose,' he said, bluntly, not looking up from the controls.

'_Those who hunt wolves_,' Jack quoted.

The Doctor's expression was bleak. He nodded and threw the handbrake.

\/\/


	16. Best Laid Plans

'What does that mean? _Those who hunt wolves_?' Rose asked, looking from one to the other.

'Nothing,' the Doctor said, glaring at Jack, 'Just some nonsense the Ood came out with.' His eyes softened as he looked at her. 'Really, Rose, it's nothing.'

She looked up at him, her expression determined. 'The Ood? Doctor-'

'I left my sonic screwdriver in your room,' he said, turning to look at the console. 'Can you get it for me? We'll be there soon.'

For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to object. Then she turned and walked out of the control room, her shoulders tense.

The Doctor kicked the console, making Jack raise his eyebrows in surprise. Then he sighed and fell into the jump seat. 'Every time I think she's back, that she's here, I lose her,' he murmured, almost to himself.

'She won't stay in here if you're in danger,' Jack said, 'You know that.'

The Doctor looked up at him. 'That's why you're staying here. Keep an eye on her. Tie her to the console if you have to just... don't let her out of your sight.'

'I can help you-'

'You will be helping me. By staying here. By keeping her safe. You'll be helping me more than you can imagine.'

\/\/

Mickey stood up as he heard people approaching. 'Martha,' he called.

Martha looked up from where she had been kneeling by Donna. The other woman was unconscious. A state Martha was keen to keep going and had so far been doing so by administering the prescription sleeping pills she'd found in the bag Donna had with her.

The guards approached the cell and deactivated the containment field. 'The Doctor's TARDIS has landed. They will be here soon,' one of the guards said, taking Mickey's arm.

'You will come with us to the main audience chamber.' Another stepped forward and took hold of Martha, placing bindings over her wrists. Behind her, two more picked Donna up.

'She shouldn't be moved!' Martha said, as haughtily as she could manage.

'All of you will be in the audience chamber when the Doctor arrives.' The guard said flatly.

Rose didn't return to the console room until the TARDIS landed. The Doctor had righted his clothing, disappearing for a moment to find another suit jacket and tie to put on over his shirt. Rose walked in, holding out the sonic screwdriver to the Doctor without looking up at him. Jack subtly removed himself from the immediate vicinity, wandering over to the edge of the room as though it contained items of vital importance.

\/\/

'We're here,' the Doctor said, 'not far from where we were before actually. Just scanning for-' The console beeped. 'Ha! Found them. Looks like they're in some sort of large structure. Space ship, by the look of it. Right… I'd better-'

'Don't go,' Rose said suddenly, then looked ashamed. 'I mean, don't go without me. Take me with you. I can help.'

The Doctor shook his head. 'I won't be long,' he said, his too-bright tone making Rose look up at him finally.

'And if you are? You're not even taking Jack with you are you? He's got to stay here and make sure I do as I'm told.' The Doctor said nothing, just continued staring at her face, his eyes tracking over her features as though looking for something. 'They're my friends too, Doctor.'

'I know.'

'When you left me - in that parallel world - I worked for Torchwood. Saved the world, made first contact with a dozen species, tracked down rogue alien tech… did all that for ten years without _you_,' he stared at her, seeing Jack turn to stare at her too. 'Let me help.' He stared at her, his expression blank. She glared. 'I'm not a kid that you can lock up in the TARDIS or send away when you think its too dangerous. Not a stupid little human, Doctor. Not just Rose Tyler anymore. I'm the Bad Wolf, remember?'

'And that…' he said, '_that_ is exactly why you can't come. Why I can't let them anywhere near you.' His next words came out in a whispered breath and Rose wasn't sure he'd intended her to hear. 'They want to take you from me.' She watched as his expression changed. He looked desperate. Afraid. 'Rose… I can't… I just can't let you come with me. It's too dangerous for you here and I can't…' he trailed off, sighing in frustration, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

She stared up at him, hurting to see him so fearful. Then she reached out, pulling him closer by his tie. Then she slid her arms around him, resting her head against his chest as he brought his own arms up to wrap around her. 'I want you back in one piece, you hear?' she said, her words muffled by his jacket. He nodded, pressing his lips to her hair. 'I mean it, Doctor. Didn't come all this way so you could get yourself killed. Again.'

'This is so not what I had planned for today,' he murmured against her hair.

She snorted derisively. 'You? With a plan? Don't make me laugh.'

His voice dropped an octave as he said, 'I think its safe to say I _always_ have a plan where you're concerned, Rose Tyler.'

He squeezed her tightly for a moment, then released her, stepping back and composing himself. 'Right. Go in, get that lot out, have a go at three eyed natives, get back in one piece.' He raised an eyebrow at her. 'That cover it?' She nodded. 'Easy. Be back before tea. Who says I can't make plans? You,' he said looking over Rose's shoulder at Jack, 'remember what I said or I'm dropping you off with the nearest celibate religious sect I find. See how you survive there.'

Jack threw him a sketchy salute and the Doctor nodded. He looked back at Rose, clearly wanting to say something, then turned on his heel and strode towards the doors, throwing his coat on as he moved. He looked back. Rose was standing where he'd left her by the console. Jack had moved to stand beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. The Doctor took a deep breath and turned his back on them, walking out of the TARDIS into the darkness of the forest.

\/\/

Martha looked around the audience chamber of the ship. The guards had deposited her and Mickey at the edge of a raised dais. A chair was set into the platform, with the most richly dressed of their captors sitting in it. She and Mickey had tried to engage him in conversation but he seemed to be having none of it.

She returned to watching Donna anxiously, hoping that the other woman would stay asleep.

There was a commotion by the main door and it was pushed open, the Doctor's voice filtering through. 'I can see myself in, thanks.' He strode into the room, his eyes sweeping over the interior with mild interest. When he reached the dais he nodded to the leader with rude familiarity. 'Don't believe we've met. I'm the Doctor. But of course you knew that, didn't you? Captured my friends to get me to come.' He looked down at Martha and Mickey, his eyes resolutely staying away from Donna's prone form. 'Hello.'

'Hi,' Martha responded.

He smiled. 'They treating you all right?'

'Can't complain,' Martha said, grinning back at him.

'Where's Rose?' Mickey asked.

The Doctor's expression darkened, but he didn't respond.

'Yes, Doctor, where is your... Companion?' The leader asked.

'Sorry,' the Doctor said, looking back at him, 'didn't catch your name.'

'I am Motlok. Leader of the scientific division.'

'Division, eh? Sounds… divisive.' The Doctor said.

Motlok looked confused for a moment, then recovered. 'Where is Rose Tyler?'

The Doctor ignored him. 'I've just come to collect my friends and go. I'm not here to-'

'Where is the Bad Wolf, Time Lord?'

'She's dead,' the Doctor said, his voice flat. Martha gasped. Mickey stared up at the Doctor, trying to read his expression.

'You lie.' Motlok said.

'Yep. But not this time. Rose is dead. Gone. No longer with us. So it would appear that I don't have what you want. Sorry. Now, if you don't mind-' he took the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, 'we'll be leaving.' He extended his arm, aiming at their restraints and popping them open. He moved towards Martha and Mickey, then hesitated. 'How do you know her name?'

Motlok grinned at him as guards appeared at either side of the Doctor. 'I believe you are labouring under a misapprehension, Doctor. You believe this is the world you visited briefly with Rose Tyler. Recently in your timeline. In fact, on that cliff top, you met my great-great-great-great grandfather. More than two hundred years have passed since you were last here.' He stood, stepping down off the dais to stand in front of the Doctor. 'Your Wolf gave us more than a purpose, Doctor. More than a quarry. When she lashed out she did not contain her power, thinking only of protecting you. We know she is not dead. Because your friend has just seen her. And we see her too. In his mind. Alive and well. Running. We can see inside the minds of everyone in this room. Feel everything every creature feels. Except you. But we don't need your mind. Not when we have your friend's.'

The Doctor ignored the guards at his sides. 'What friend?'

Jack was dragged in and thrown to the floor beside him. He pulled himself to his feet and his captors grabbed him again, holding him still.

The Doctor turned to glare at him. 'Tie her to the console, I said. Don't let her out of your sight, I said.'

Jack glared back at the Doctor. 'Have you ever tried to stop her doing something she wanted to do?'

'Frequently!' the Doctor shot back.

'Has it ever worked for you? Cos I'll tell you right now, that girl's got a mean right hook on her!'

Absurdly, the Doctor looked as though he was about to laugh. 'Rose hit you?'

'Right after you left. Knocked me to the ground and ran out of the TARDIS.'

Motlok stood in front of Jack. 'You will tell us where Rose Tyler has gone.'

'Like hell I will.'

'He doesn't know,' the Doctor said, sounding bored. 'You say you can read minds, go ahead. He just saw her running, you said so yourself. Didn't see where she went.'

Motlok turned, staring at the Doctor for a long moment. Then he nodded to one of the guards standing at the side of the room. The two guards at either side of the Doctor stepped back as the third approached, brandishing what looked like the scanning device Motlok's ancestor had used when the Doctor and Rose first crashed here.

'We have modified our technology for an occasion like this,' Motlok said, 'this device is capable of dealing a shock that will stop both your hearts, Doctor. Of course,' he said, stepping back slightly, 'it is also capable of delivering a charge that is merely unbearably painful.'

'Don't be stupid,' the Doctor said, raising the sonic screwdriver. Motlok waved a hand and the screwdriver flew out of the Doctor's grip, clattering to the floor several metres away. 'Ah. Telekinesis. Interesting. Now…' he said, stepping back as the guard raised the weapon. 'You don't have to…'

'Kill him,' Motlok snarled.

The guard fired, the shot hitting Jack squarely in the chest and knocking him to the floor.

The Doctor stared down at Jack, then turned his furious gaze on Motlok. 'You didn't have to do that!' Two guards stepped forward, snapping restraints around his wrists and holding him in place.

Motlok ignored him, instead addressing the guards stationed around the room. 'Take the Captain and the Doctor's friends and leave them in the forest. Close to his TARDIS. They will bring us the Bad Wolf.'

'They will not!' Mickey said.

Motlok looked at him, amused. 'You will have no choice. She will demand to be brought here. Take them,' he said to the guards. 'Leave that one,' he indicated Donna. 'She is… interesting. And will no doubt prove more interesting still when she regains consciousness. Once you have deposited them in the forest, return here and take us into orbit. We wouldn't want to make things too easy for our Wolf. Not now. Not when we have a Time Lord to study.'


	17. Help

Jack gasped and sat up, staring around himself. Martha and Mickey were sitting with their backs against the TARDIS, talking quietly.

'What the hell happened?' He groaned, propping himself up on his elbows.

'That guy shot you,' Mickey said helpfully. 'Shot you and took off with the Doctor. Fat lot of good you were.'

Jack ignored him, looking at Martha instead. 'Why aren't we inside?'

'Can't get in. Our keys don't work.' Martha said, holding hers up.

'What?' Jack hauled himself to his feet, dragging his TARDIS key out of his pocket and fitting it to the lock. It wouldn't turn. 'Huh,' he said, nonplussed. 'I used this yesterday.'

Mickey stood and pulled Martha to her feet.

'So the TARDIS is keeping us out now?' Martha asked. 'Great.' She leaned against the blue box in question, glaring off into the dark forest. 'No Doctor, no TARDIS, stuck on this planet full of weird three eyed aliens…'

'Just like old times,' Jack and Mickey said simultaneously. They grinned at each other and Martha rolled her eyes.

'We'd better find Rose,' Jack said, sobering.

'How do we know she's not in there?' Martha asked.

'Good point,' Mickey said, turning and pounding on the TARDIS doors.

'There's no point. We can't get in.' They turned to see Rose standing a few feet away, surrounded by the darkness of the trees. 'She's locked us out.'

\/\/

'Where are we going?' Martha asked. They'd been walking through the dark forest for about fifteen minutes, following Rose.

'I need to find a way to get to him,' Rose said, neither looking over her shoulder nor slowing her pace. 'There's a village this way. Saw it earlier on.'

'Rose,' Mickey said gently. 'The TARDIS locked us out. What if he's-'

'He's not,' Rose said flatly.

'They had this thing,' Martha said, 'this weapon. They said it could stop both his hearts at once.'

Rose stopped, but didn't turn. 'He's not dead. I'd _know_, okay? He's just… not.' She strode on, towards the lights of the village.

They walked into the main square and were suddenly surrounded. The villagers were clearly the same species as those they had met on the ship, but they were dirtier, their clothes worn and threadbare. The crowd parted to reveal a woman walking towards them, her expression dark.

'Who are you?' she demanded, looking at Jack.

'Captain Jack Harkness,' he said. 'This is Martha Jones, Mickey Smith and Rose.' He hesitated slightly before leaving out her surname; after all, they'd known her on the ship.

The woman regarded him seriously for a moment before nodding. 'I am Mriske. What do you want here?'

'We just need somewhere to rest,' Martha said.

'I am afraid we can offer you no comfort,' Mriske said flatly, her gaze returning to Jack. 'Some of our number have been injured and we must tend to them.'

'I can help,' Martha said, 'I'm a doctor.'

Mriske's head snapped around to look at Martha, her eyes narrowing. 'What did you say?'

'She's a healer,' Rose said. Then she gasped and dropped to her knees. Martha knelt down beside her, checking her pulse. ''m fine,' Rose mumbled. 'Just tired.'

'You are in great pain,' Mriske said, her tone soft. She looked down at Rose, her expression puzzled.

'Bring her to my house,' she looked at Martha, 'While she recovers, there are others who would benefit more from your expertise than she.'

\/\/

There turned out to be several wounded. Mostly they seemed to be industrial injuries. Cuts and sprains that she would associate with working in a factory of some kind. There had been one, though, a young male, who had clearly been subjected to a lower dosage of the shock Jack had received.

By the time Martha finished cleaning and dressing the wounded, it was growing light outside. She found Mickey and Jack sitting at Mriske's kitchen table. Rose appeared to be asleep on a bench against the wall.

'We've still got no way of getting there,' Mickey was saying.

'If we could get into the TARDIS I could fly it,' Jack said.

'Yeah, but we can't,' Mickey responded, 'so stop bringing it up.'

Martha walked into the room and sat down beside Mickey, who automatically brought his arm up around her shoulders. 'I'm worried about Donna,' she said. 'I was sedating her while we were up there, but she'll wake up soon…'

'I know,' Mickey said. They all stared at the table for a moment.

'I'm surprised she can sleep,' Martha said, nodding towards Rose.

'I don't think she's asleep,' Jack said quietly, his eyes on Rose. 'I think she's unconscious.'

'The way he used to talk about her, I expected her to be... I don't know...Different, somehow. Better than the rest of us. Like she could come up with the answer without even trying.'

Before Jack or Mickey could respond, Mriske entered the room. She sat down at the table, looking at each of them in turn. 'Travellers from another world,' she said. They nodded. 'Do you know our history?'

'We were ki-' Mickey began.

'Kinda ended up here by accident,' Jack said hurriedly. 'Not really sure where we are, actually.'

Mickey said, 'And now our designated driver's gone and got himself-'

'Lost,' Martha finished.

'You were kidnapped,' Mriske said simply, 'and your"designated driver" is being held by the scientists.'

Jack raised an eyebrow. 'That about sums it up.'

Mriske nodded. She stared at the tabletop for a long moment before speaking. 'Our race has suffered two great hardships. The first was the cataclysm.'

'What was the cataclysm?' Martha asked.

'The Time War,' Mriske said, looking back up at them. 'I see you know what I am talking about. We are sensitive beings. Empathic and sensible of the movement of time. The Time War devastated our planet. The Time Lords promised assistance once the war was over, but none came.'

There was silence for a moment, then Jack said, 'You said there were two hardships.'

'Yeah,' Mickey said, 'what was the second one?'

'The Bad Wolf. The Bad Wolf was brought here, generations ago. She chose certain of us. Gave them gifts. And now their descendants bleed the planet dry. Keep us living in hovels like this. Take our strength to build their machines.'

'They couldn't come,' Rose's voice was soft, unsteady. They looked over to where she was sitting up on the bench, her eyes on the floor. 'The Time Lords. They all died. There was only one survivor. And after the Time War- he couldn't have come. Not for a long time.'

Martha stood and walked over to Rose, sitting beside her on the bench and taking her hand. Rose looked up at her, surprised, then looked back down at the floor.

'We know about the last of the Time Lords. The Doctor. The Oncoming Storm who brought the Bad Wolf to our world.'

'He didn't-' Rose began. 'I didn't mean for this to happen.'

'I believe you. I thought for years that what you did here was intended. But seeing you… I know it was not.' Jack and Mickey stared at the woman. She smiled grimly at them. 'I know your friend. I would not be much of an empathic being if I did not,' Mriske said, smiling softly. She looked at Rose, 'The Time Lord – your Doctor, he is the one the scientists have?'

'He can help you-' Martha began.

Mriske shook her head. 'It is too late for him. You should all leave here as soon as you can.'

'No,' Rose said.

'They will finish studying him soon. Then his body will be found in the forest. That is their way.'

'No,' Rose said again, her tone exactly the same. 'I'm going to save him.'

'He can help your whole planet,' Martha said, squeezing Rose's hand. 'The things I've seen him do... '

'He's brilliant,' Mickey put in. 'And he never gives up. Never gives up on anyone.'

Jack leaned over the table and rested a hand on Mriske's. 'Bottom line is, he can save you. But _we_ have to save _him_ first.'

'And we need your help,' Mickey added.

'You want us to risk our lives - the lives of our children- for him? For the last surviving member of a species whose war caused so much damage to our planet? The man who brought the Bad Wolf here?'

'No,' Rose said, looking up at Mriske, her eyes hard. 'We want you to risk your lives for yourselves. To fix your planet.'

'You did this!' Mriske said, jerking her hand away from Jack's and rising.

Rose shook her head. 'I gave them power. It was an accident. They decided how to use it. And I'm sorry for what's been done to you...'

'Yet you want us to fight for you! For your Doctor!'

Rose stood, her eyes blazing. 'I want you to fight beside us! For yourselves!'

Mriske stared at her for a moment. When she spoke, her words were soft. 'You are marked.'

'Yes,' Rose said, her eyes boring into Mriske's.

'And you feel too deeply,' Rose looked away, then. Mriske nodded to herself. 'I suspect your Doctor does also.' She walked around the table, tucking her fingers under Rose's chin and lifting it. 'I believe Motlok believes wolves are like dogs. That they can be tamed. I hope you are not so delusional.'

Rose looked up at her, and Martha saw tears tracking down her cheeks. 'Help me.'

Mriske nodded, stepping back. 'We will help. We will fight to free our world. And while we are doing that, you will travel to the ship, save your Doctor, and stop those that you created.'

\/\/


	18. No More DoctorDonna

With Mriske's help it was surprisingly easy to assemble a reasonably sized force. Martha, Mickey and Jack found themselves talking to the villagers with Mriske, Rose kept a low profile, trying to stay out of sight.

At sunset, Martha went looking for Rose. She found her leaning against the back wall of Mriske's house, watching the sun go down. Martha leaned next to her, feeling the warmth of the wall through her clothes.

'Jack and Mickey are with Mriske. We're nearly ready to go. We've still got no way of getting up there, though,' she said, waving a hand at the sky.

'Somethin'll turn up.' Rose turned and smiled at her, her tongue poking between her teeth slightly. Martha couldn't help but smile back. 'So…' Rose said, 'You and Mickey…'

'Yeah,' Martha said, looking down at her left hand. 'Me and Mickey.'

'S'good,' Rose said. 'It's really good. The Doctor reckons he saw it coming all along, of course.' Martha grinned again. 'I think he's secretly congratulating himself for putting you two together.' She laughed softly, making Martha laugh too.

'Full of himself, that one,' Martha said.

'Yeah,' Rose said, her laughter fading. 'They're torturing him,' she said, her tone almost conversational. Martha stared at her. 'I can feel it… in my head. I have to get up there!'

'But-'

'What's that?' Rose asked, looking up at a building on the hill behind the village.

'That is where we are going next,' Mriske said, stepping out of the house behind them.

'It's a base,' Mickey said, following her out. 'They've got a shuttle that'll take us to the ship.'

'And they'll just give it to us, will they?' Martha said doubtfully.

'I think they can be persuaded,' Jack said. 'Mriske says there aren't many of them, mainly village kids.'

'The scientists are all on their ship,' Mriske said. 'We will take you as far as the shuttle.'

Jack walked towards Rose. 'You should stay here. Help Mriske.'

'Yeah? Well I'm not going to,' Rose said, pushing away from the wall. 'That way, was it?' she nodded towards the hill. 'Right. See you there.'

Jack turned to look at Mickey and Martha. Mickey spread his hands. 'Told you.'

\/\/

Rose fidgeted in her chair.

'What's the matter with you?' Mickey asked, sitting down opposite as Martha climbed in next to him.

'Don't like spaceships much,' Rose admitted.

Mickey and Martha laughed. 'You live on a spaceship!' Mickey reminded her.

'The TARDIS is different,' Rose said, looking uneasy. 'This thing makes me claustrophobic. Where's Jack?'

'Right here,' Jack said, walking in and taking the pilot's chair.

'You're gonna fly this thing?' Martha asked. 'What about Mriske?'

'She's gonna stay here, keep the revolution warm for us.'

'Maybe we should-' Martha said, making as though to rise out of her seat.

'Relax,' Jack said, starting the ship. 'If I can fly the TARDIS-

'_Help_ fly the TARDIS,' Rose interrupted.

'I can fly this,' Jack finished, ignoring her. 'Besides, I was stealin' more complicated vessels than this before you were a glint in your daddy's eye, Martha Jones.'

\/\/

'That was easy,' Jack said, closing up the shuttle. They'd made it onto the ship with the minimum of fuss, automatic systems opening the hangar doors for them and guiding them in.

'Bit too easy if you ask me,' Mickey muttered, slipping the strap of the gun he'd been given over his head.

Before any of them could respond, they heard a scream.

'That's Donna!' Martha said.

'You sure?' Mickey asked, looking around wildly.

'This way!' Rose ordered, running towards the sound.

'Well, I'll give her this! She's fast!' Martha yelled as Rose turned a corner ahead of them. The screaming still hadn't stopped. Just as they reached her, Rose backtracked, bumping into Martha. She was being pursued by two armed guards.

Jack raised his gun and fired at them. Then he stepped over them to look around the corner. 'Clear! Martha, I think you'd better get in here. It _is_ Donna.'

Martha rushed into the corridor to find Donna crouching against the wall, screaming and clasping her head.

'Martha,' Rose said. 'Stand back. She's remembering.'

'The Doctor said she'd die if she remembered,' Jack said.

'I'm a doctor, Rose. I can help!' Martha snapped.

'Martha, I can help. And she _definitely_ doesn't need a doctor.' Something in her tone made Martha look up at her. Then she stood and moved back slightly. 'Mickey? Jack? Keep an eye out for more guards, yeah?' Rose knelt down in front of Donna and took her hands, prying them away from her head. 'Bit too much Doctor for your own good, isn't that right? Donna, its me.'

'Rose Tyler!' Donna gasped, her screams subsiding.

Rose smiled. 'Yeah. That's me.'

'My head!' Donna moaned.

'Not so bad at the moment, is it?' Rose asked.

'No,' Donna said, looking puzzled. Then her expression cleared. 'Probably the proximity of the heart of the TARDIS stored in you. The Bad Wolf. Holding hands with the big Bad Wolf. Brilliant!'

'She sounds just like him,' Mickey murmured.

'Donna,' Rose said, softly, swallowing past a dry throat. 'If I let go of your hands, it'll start to hurt again. But I can help you, Donna. I'm going to help you.'

'You can't. You'll just make me forget. Then the minute I clap eyes on any of you lot I'll remember and we're right back where we started!'

'No,' Rose said.

Martha walked over to Mickey. 'Does Rose sound… funny to you?'

'I'm gonna give you your life back, Donna.' Rose said, her voice somehow seeming to echo. 'Best of both worlds for you, Donna Noble. You can go back to your husband and tell him all about the Doctor and the TARDIS and about the time you stopped the Daleks destroying reality. But first, no more Doctor-Donna…' Rose closed her eyes.

Martha and Mickey stared as Rose gasped and fell backwards, her hands slipping out of Donna's. Donna sat up, her hands flying to her head. 'It doesn't hurt! How did you-' she looked at Rose, who was pulling herself to her feet. 'You were at my wedding! I saw you!' Rose nodded. 'But… he left you. On that parallel world – the idiot! I can't believe I let him do that.'

'You had other things on your mind,' Rose said, smiling weakly.

'You gave me back my memory,' Donna said, one hand still pressed to the side of her head.

Rose nodded. 'The Doctor hid all the Time Lord stuff in your brain. I took it out.'

'Just like that?' Mickey asked, his tone doubtful.

'Yeah,' Rose said.

'If it was that easy, why didn't the Doctor just do that?' Martha asked.

'I haven't got time for this!' Rose snapped. She took a deep breath. 'Please. We have to find him.'

'Right, you two,' Jack said, looking at Martha and Mickey. 'You were here before. Which way?'

\/\/

They'd dragged in some sort of frame and chained his wrists to it. That had been several hours ago and he was pretty sure he'd lost all feeling in his hands. Couldn't be completely sure. Nothing to touch to test the theory. They kept shocking him, every now and then. Although they seemed to be getting bored with it. Motlok had disappeared a few hours ago, presumably to sleep.

He seemed to be back now though. The Doctor wasn't quite sure when that had happened. He certainly appeared to be excited about something, though. The Doctor straightened, supposing he'd better look as though he was interested. Motlok was taking his seat up on the dais, out of the Doctor's line of vision. Suddenly, the doors at the end of the hall opened, admitting five very familiar figures.

The Doctor's eyes locked on Rose as she strode towards the dais, flanked by Jack and Mickey. Martha bringing up the rear with Donna. Donna who seemed to be fine. A little put out, perhaps, but when wasn't she? He switched his attention back to Rose. 'Rose, you need to leave. Now.'

'Not going anywhere without you,' she said, stopping in front of him.

'Rose Tyler,' Motlok greeted, clearly making an effort to sound charming. 'The Bad Wolf herself-'

'Shut up, and let him go,' Rose snapped, not looking away from the Doctor.

'I don't think you understand the situation here,' Motlok said. He swept out a hand and Mickey and Jack found themselves divested of their weapons. 'I give the orders.'

Finally, Rose turned to look at him. 'Oh yeah? That's good. You can order them to get him down.'

'Why would I do that?' Motlok sounded amused. He stood and walked towards Rose, coming to a stop less than a foot from her.

Rose didn't step back, didn't flinch, but the Doctor noticed the other four tensed slightly, as though about to step in.

Rose sighed. 'Because I'm offering you a chance – just one chance – to do as I ask. See, with him,' she jerked her head in the Doctor's direction, 'if things were the other way round... if it was me up there... you'd be safe up to a point. He won't kill you if he can help it. He really won't. 'Cos with a life like his - personal and important can't be the same thing. Not when there's the whole universe out there. They just can't. He can't go around killing people just 'cos they've hurt someone you care about. Can't put the life of one person above everything else. And he can't carry a weapon. Carrying a weapon would give him that extra option he really doesn't want to have. So he doesn't.'

Motlok sneered at her. 'He butchered billions.'

'No. He killed. Killed his own people to stop the Daleks. Because it had to be done. To keep the universe safe. He lives his life like that. Every single day. It's lonelier than you can imagine. And sometimes he needs reminding.' She paused and took a step forward, coming toe to toe with Motlok. Then she went on. 'Me? I'm human. Mostly. My problems are smaller. Personal stuff _matters_. And if you touch him again I will rip you out of the stars.' The words were delivered softly and it took Motlok a moment to understand. When he did he actually took a step back from her. Rose followed him. ''Cos I don't care who you are. I don't care why you're doing this. I don't even care what your names are. I want him safe. I crossed universes to make him safe.'

'So this is what you are?' Motlok said, recovering himself. 'We want the wolf and we get the woman?' He looked puzzled for a moment. 'Or perhaps not, I see you here now, I can sense your thoughts, your feelings... but I have no idea what you will do next. I had no idea of the manner of your arrival. I see all of them,' he nodded towards her friends, 'but where your actions should be I see only a hole. This interests me.'

Rose ignored him 'I don't even have to kill you. I just have to make it so you never existed.'

Motlok tilted his head to one side, amused. 'You will not. You... the human child who stood between a Dalek- the scourge of the universe - and this very man,' he waved a hand at the Doctor, 'this man with a different face. You who are defined by compassion and empathy, steeped in it - will you destroy yourself? Become like him?' Rose narrowed her eyes at him. 'As I said, we know all about you, Rose Tyler. We can see your mind. Your memories are exposed.'

'Leave her alone.'

'And you, Doctor. Destroyer of worlds. The Oncoming Storm. You never imagined, did you, that saving you would cost her so much?' He turned back to Rose. 'We've waited so long for you. You have no conception of the waiting we have endured. Waiting for the Bad Wolf. The breakthrough came when we worked out how to follow the TARDIS. Imagine that! Us – trailing a Time Lord's vessel! We found them depressingly easy to find. Martha Jones and Mickey Smith. The other... Donna Noble. she practically called to us. We have striven to bring you here. Generations of scientists have worked their whole lives for this purpose and this purpose alone. We-'

'Oh shut _up_,' Donna said, stepping forward to stand beside Rose. She nudged her in the ribs. 'He doesn't half go on, doesn't he?'

Motlok hissed as he looked up, his gaze going beyond her, seeming to notice the others that had entered the room for the first time.

'Surprised to see Jack?' The Doctor asked dryly. 'Thought you might be.'

'You killed my friend and left his body in the forest like it was nothing,' Rose said quietly. 'But that wasn't why you wanted him, was it?' She asked, her eyes flicking to the Doctor for a moment. 'No… you wanted him 'cos you thought it would bring me here.'

'And we were correct!' Motlok said triumphantly. 'Even now, you lean towards him, as though he is a weight in your world, pulling you in. _Very_ interesting. Shock him again,' he ordered the guards, keeping his eyes on Rose.

The guards raised their weapons. Martha and Donna stepped towards the Doctor, both shouting.

'No,' Rose whispered. She waved a hand and the weapons disintegrated in a shower of golden light and Motlok and the scientist-guards collapsed, falling to the floor and staying there.

The Doctor, suddenly released, dropped to the ground. He picked himself up and rushed to Rose, standing in front of her and taking her by the shoulders. 'Rose,' he said softly. 'Stop this. Now. You got me free, we can leave now.'

'But he-' Rose's voice carried that odd echo again.

'I'm fine,' he said quickly. 'Really fine. See?'

Finally, she nodded. 'Hello.'

He laughed, 'Hello.' The Doctor turned to look at Donna. 'And Donna Temple-Noble! Hello!' His excitement faded to be replaced with concern. 'Are you all right?'

Donna smiled and nodded to Rose. 'Miss Tyler here fixed me up a treat. Bit of a touch, my head was literally killing me. Tell you the truth, spaceman, I think she's much better at all this than you.'

The Doctor snorted his amusement at that and looked down at Rose again. 'Run?' he suggested, taking her hand.

She grinned up at him then, finally seeming to be fully herself again. 'Run!'

\/\/


	19. The Parting of the Ways

_A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has read, reviewed and favourited! It really means a lot and I swear it makes me type faster!_

_A/N 2: Chapters 19 and 20 have been reposted due to some light (and not so light) editing. _

_

* * *

_

They hadn't gone far before they heard the sound of guards chasing them. Currently they were hiding in what appeared to be a kitchen.

'We're too conspicuous, six of us running around together,' Martha said, slightly breathless.

The Doctor was over at a computer terminal, using the sonic screwdriver he'd swiped out of Motlok's jacket to page through floor plans. 'We're not splitting up.'

'Martha's right,' Jack said. 'Its our best chance at getting back to the shuttle without being detected.'

'I said no, Jack,' the Doctor said, not looking up. He paused a moment, then added, 'Well, actually I didn't, but I was very clear all the same. No splitting up.'

'Shall we take a vote?' Jack shot back.

'What? No!'

'All those in favour of splitting up?' Jack asked, ignoring him. He raised his own hand, closely followed by Martha and Mickey. Rose looked slightly guilty, and then raised her own hand.

'Rose!' The Doctor looked scandalised.

'They've got a point, Doctor. Six people running around a ship in a big group are easy to track. Two groups of three might make it a bit harder.'

'And a lot easier to get lost!' He glared at them for a second. 'Fine. Donna and Rose, you're with me. You lot – that's your route,' he indicated the screen. 'Here,' he threw Mickey something he'd picked up off the desk. 'Communicator. Keep in touch. Don't get lost.'

\/\/

They had reached the corridor they'd found Donna in when Rose stumbled. The Doctor turned and caught her, steadying her.

'You all right?' he asked, ducking his head to look into her eyes.

'Sorry, just tired. We're nearly there.'

He studied her face intently, and then nodded. He stepped back, turning to run, and heard Rose fall to the ground behind him. He turned back, ready to pick her up and carry her bodily, but found his way barred what appeared to be a very thin, very dense, sheet of plastic.

'It just appeared,' Rose said, pulling herself to her feet and staring at him through the barrier.

He yanked his screwdriver out of his pocket and aimed it at the crack in the ceiling that the barrier had slid out of. After a few seconds he stopped, looking back down at Rose. 'I can't open it.'

She nodded slowly, as though she'd expected it all along. 'I guess they really don't want me to leave,' she said, smiling weakly.

'Oh I'm getting you out of there. I just have to think of something.'

'Doctor-'

'There's got to be a way to open it, or a way around it. Something that-'

'Doctor!' Rose raised her voice over his babbling. He stopped, staring at her. 'There's no way around.'

'She's right,' Donna said, 'look.'

The Doctor turned to look where Donna was pointing. There was a map flashing on the wall. Each route that led to the hangar was blocked by a blinking blue line. Rose turned and stared down the empty corridor behind her. Then she sighed and turned back to face him.

'Rose…'

'You have to go,' she said, feeling tears prickling her eyes. 'Doctor, you and Donna – you have to go now. The others won't leave without you.'

'And I'm not leaving without you!'

Rose turned her attention to Donna. 'Donna, please-'

'Can't you just… you know?' Donna waved her hands around, as though trying to illustrate some sort of magic trick.

'I don't know how,' Rose admitted.

The Doctor looked at her, his eyes burning into hers. 'Try.'

'I told you I don't know how!' Rose said, tears streaking down her face. 'It's like its just there in my head when-'

She was cut off by Mickey's voice coming out of the communicator in the Doctor's pocket.

'Doctor? The shuttle. It's gone. They've taken the shuttle.'

The Doctor held Rose's gaze as he pulled the device from his pocket. 'Got a bit of a problem here, too. Make your way to corridor-' he looked around and spotted a symbol on the wall, 'looks like an upside down F with a cat's face next to it.' He dropped the communicator back into his pocket and returned his gaze to Rose. 'See, now we have time.'

'Those guards'll be on their way,' Donna said quietly.

'I know that, Donna, thanks.' The Doctor snapped.

'I was just saying!' she retorted.

'Rose, we could be wrong about the barriers. Go back and try another corridor.'

She shook her head. 'Look at the arch above my head, Doctor.' He gave her a puzzled look before complying. Then he closed his eyes, willing himself not to see what was there. _Bad Wolf_. 'Looks like I'm not coming with you,' Rose said softly, her voice breaking slightly.

'Rose, we're trapped here too,' he reminded her. 'The shuttle's gone. We have no way of getting out of here. I'm not going anywhere.'

Rose looked desperate for a moment, then her expression cleared. 'Maybe not,' she said, then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

'Rose, what are you-' the Doctor began, then stopped as her eyes snapped open. They were filled with gold light. 'Rose!' he yelled, banging on the plastic. 'Rose, don't! Whatever you're doing… don't!'

After several seconds, Rose gasped and pitched forwards, catching herself on the barrier. 'Get to the hangar,' she said, her voice coming out hoarse. 'Go!'

'What did you do?' he demanded.

She looked up at him and gave him a watery smile. Her eyes had returned to their normal brown now, with no sign of the golden light that had drenched them previously. 'I brought the TARDIS here. I flew it!' she added as he opened his mouth to protest. 'So no timelines were crossed or anything. And the paintwork's probably a bit scratched. But its there, in the hangar. So go.'

'Rose, you can't have-'

Right on cue, Martha's voice came through the communicator. 'Uh, Doctor? We heard a noise coming from the hangar, so we went back to have a look… and its… Doctor is the TARDIS!'

'Of course it is. Get inside. We'll be there in a tick.'

'Earlier, we couldn't… never mind. Door's open. See you in a minute.'

'Our keys wouldn't work earlier,' Rose explained at the Doctor's puzzled look.

'You can't stay here,' the Doctor insisted. 'They want you, Rose. They want what's in your head. They've got something specific in mind for you. Open the barrier.'

'I can't,' She whispered.

'You just flew the TARDIS,' he said, his voice sounding strained, as though he was trying to keep from shouting. 'You can move a barrier.'

'I told you I don't know how,' she said, sounding utterly miserable. 'Things just appear in my head – like when I came back. I just knew how to do that, how to save you. Its like it gives me the steps but not the music. And I'm so _tired_.'

The Doctor stared at her for a moment. 'Go back and find another way to the hangar,' he ordered, his voice low. 'We'll wait.'

She shook her head. 'You can't wait for me. It's too dangerous. Me, you _and_ the TARDIS? They'd have the full set.' She looked at Donna. 'Donna, tell him!'

Donna stepped forwards and laid a hand on the Doctor's arm. He looked at her, surprised to see tears running down her cheeks. 'She's right, Doctor. We have to go.'

He turned back to look at Rose, pulling his arm away from Donna.

'You can't save me!' Rose shouted, suddenly frustrated at his stubbornness. 'You shouldn't! The Ood were right, Doctor. I'm too dangerous to be out there. I flew the TARDIS! I can't even fly the TARDIS when I'm _in_ it!'

'So we'll add it to the list of stuff you can do! Right after we get you out of here.'

'And what's going to turn up in my head next? Do you know? 'Cos I don't, Doctor! But I know I meant what I said earlier! I would have killed them if they'd hurt you again. Ripped them out of existence!' He merely stared at her, neither forgiving nor condemning her. 'Doctor, you have to get them home. Martha and Mickey. Get Donna back to her husband. And Jack? Jack doesn't end up stuck here. I know. Jack's a fixed point in your timeline. So many years into his future I can't even imagine how long it'll be before then. His future. Your past. _Our_ past. New Earth, remember? With the cat nuns?'

'Rose…'

'And I don't know how I know _that_, either! Things just pop into my head and you can't tell me that's right!'

The communicator sounded again, Martha's voice sounding terrified. 'Doctor! They're on their way to the TARDIS and we can't close the doors!'

He looked utterly helpless then. Torn.

'Go!' Rose snapped. 'You can't let them kill Martha and Mickey. And they can't get their hands on the TARDIS. Imagine the damage they'd cause with the whole of time and space in their greedy little claws. You have to go. Please, Doctor!' She was sobbing now, her hands pressed against the barrier. 'I'll shut the ship down. Crash it if I have to,' she promised. 'I think I can manage that. But you have to go!'

He raised his hands, pressing them against hers, as though he could feel her through the plastic. 'I can't come back for you,' he said, his voice a whisper. 'I can never come back for you.'

'I know.'

'Rose Tyler-'

'Don't.'

He nodded and she watched his eyes change. They became flat, cold. Empty. Then he turned and grabbed Donna's wrist, dragging her with him as he ran from the corridor.

\/\/


	20. She Runs Through Universes

The Doctor felt his throat constrict at the sight of the TARDIS standing in the hangar. He hesitated for a second before pushing Donna through the doors. He slammed the doors closed behind himself and leaned against them for a moment. Then he strode up the ramp, allowing the familiarity of the controls to lead him while his mind froze.

'But-' Martha began.

'Where's Rose?' Mickey demanded.

The Doctor glanced up at them. The TARDIS lights were dimmed, but he could still see them clearly. Mickey and Martha were wearing identical expressions of disbelief. Jack looked guarded. Donna was standing behind them all, her watching him carefully. 'She's not coming,' he said, looking back down at the controls.

They staggered slightly as the TARDIS dematerialised.

'We can't just leave her there!' Martha shouted. 'Doctor!'

\/\/

'Rose!'

Rose opened her eyes. Daylight was streaming into her room around the edges of the heavy curtains at the window.

'Rose! I won't call you again! You'll be late for work.' That was her mum. Calling her down to breakfast. She was in her old room, at the Tyler mansion.

She stood and made her way downstairs. Her mum was sitting at the breakfast table with Tony, looking scruffy already in his school uniform. Rose sat down in an empty chair, staring around her.

'What's the matter with you?' Jackie asked, studying her daughter over her mug of tea.

'I was home,' Rose said, unable to form a coherent sentence to explain the expression she knew she was wearing.

'You _are_ home, darling,' Jackie said, amused.

'No I was really… really home. On the TARDIS. Well, not on it exactly, but-'

'Tony, go and get ready for school,' Jackie snapped.

'I _am_ ready.'

'And look at the state of you! Go and smarten yourself up. I'm not having the other mums looking down on me just 'cos you can't keep your uniform clean for more than ten minutes together.' Once the boy had skulked off to his room, Jackie returned her attention to her daughter. 'Now, sweetheart,' she said gently, '_please_ don't start all that again.'

'I mean it, mum! I was really there… and he was there… This can't be real.'

'Of course its real!' Jackie snapped. 'This is real life, Rose Tyler. Or are you too good for real life now?'

'You don't understand,' Rose said, trying to control the rising panic. 'I was with the Doctor…'

'And you left him,' Jackie said, her expression harsh. She stood and started clearing the table distractedly. 'You left him, darlin' and you were right to.'

'I didn't leave him, mum. I had no choice.'

'And now he's all alone.'

Rose's head snapped up at her mother's words, delivered in a monotone that just _wasn't_ Jackie Tyler. 'What did you say?'

'I said it's about time you came home,' Jackie said. 'Honestly, I don't think you listen to a word I say.'

'Mum-'

'Rose, it was just a dream,' Jackie said firmly. 'That's why you're staying here, isn't it? Because of the dreams?' She looked disappointed. 'I really thought you were putting all this behind you, sweetheart.' Jackie glanced up at the clock. 'You'd better get ready for work. Your dad'll be ready soon. Best not say anything to him, eh?'

\/\/

Rose had gone to work. It seemed like the sensible thing to do. As she'd moved through the halls of Torchwood One she'd been unable to shake the fierce feeling of déjà vu that had come over her and had ended up hiding in one of the basement labs.

A dream then, yeah? How was it that the dream felt more real than any of this? Even now, hours later, if she closed her eyes she knew she'd see him there. Clearer than she had in years. More disturbing were the sudden flashes of the feeling of his skin against her own, his lips pressing into hers as his tongue slid into her mouth. _That_ was definitely not a memory. Couldn't be a memory.

Except… except there were details that she just didn't think she had the imagination to invent. And why on Earth would she dream about Donna's wedding reception? About Mickey and Martha, married? Some sort of sick game her subconscious was playing. That was why.

She caught herself in the act of raising her hand to rub the back of her neck in frustration, realised it was_ his_ gesture, and stopped herself. She picked up a device from the table in front of her, trying to keep her hands busy.

_I don't wanna go_. She looked up as the whispered words sounded in the lab, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. That was the Doctor's voice. All the years since she'd seen him couldn't make her forget, and the dream last night had only served to further imprint it on her consciousness.

It was only a memory, though. Had to be. Except she couldn't ever remember him saying that, and she had amazingly crystal clear recall of the time she'd spent with him.

'You were supposed to be home hours ago.'

Rose looked up to see her mum standing in the doorway of the lab, her expression that mixture of anger and hurt that Jackie did so well.

'This isn't right,' Rose said, feeling the reluctance of her mind to allow the words out even as she spoke them. 'Something about this is completely wrong.' Her mum was talking, advancing on her. Now she seemed to be calling her name, trying to get her attention. Rose looked down at the device in her hands, saw it glow before everything went dark.

\/\/

'Doctor!'

The Doctor opened his eyes, not quite sure why they'd been shut. Martha appeared to be very close to him, a concerned expression on her face. 'What?'

'You blacked out,' Jack said.

That would be Jack then that was hauling him to his feet. Because of the aforementioned blackout. Right. Except he didn't black out. He really didn't. It wasn't something Time Lords _did_. Especially not Time Lords as impressive as he was. He told them so.

'Sorry, boss, but you did. Just sort of swayed, then fell on the floor.' Mickey sounded worried.

'Very dignified,' Donna said, also contriving to sound worried while refreshingly free from any need to be nice to him.

Why hadn't Rose said anything? He was certain - absolutely _certain_ – that Rose had just been here. He could sense her here, somehow. Like she'd just left the room.

But that wasn't right, was it? Rose was gone. Left behind with Motlok and his fellow scientists. But he'd seen her. And… Jackie? Nope. Definitely not right. But hang on… he'd seen that before. When he'd taken Rose to visit the Ood. That had been in her head. A memory. Why was his wrist burning?

He looked down at it, pulling his sleeve back. 'Oh.'

Jack, still standing next to him, looked down at it too. 'Doc, that looks just like-'

'The mark on the back of Rose's neck,' the Doctor nodded. 'It's the same.'

'How long has it been there?' Jack asked.

'I think it just turned up,' the Doctor said, slumping into the jump seat.

'Just turned up?' Jack echoed.

'What mark?' Donna asked, straining to see.

'Never mind that.' Mickey said. 'What are we gonna do about Rose? Martha's right, we can't just leave her there.'

The Doctor blinked, had so little time passed since they'd left the ship?

'He can't go back for her,' Donna said quietly. Martha and Mickey turned to look at her. Jack stayed where he was, studying the Doctor intently. For his part, the Doctor kept his gaze fixed on a point somewhere inside the console, trying not to think about the mark on his wrist and failing utterly.

'What do you mean? Can't?' Mickey was saying, furious now. 'Won't, more like.'

'He _can't_,' Donna reiterated. 'If they got their hands on the TARDIS-'

'So the TARDIS is more important than Rose? That what you're saying?'

'Oi!' Donna shouted back. 'Don't start with me! I've seen the inside of his head and there are _rules_. Loads and loads of rules. And we can't even hope to understand them. I don't like it any more than you do. And he… well, look at him.'

Mickey turned to look at the Doctor, who had his eyes closed, his arms folded across his chest.

'And it gets worse,' Donna said quietly. 'We have to help destroy that ship.'

'What?' Jack said. 'We can't. Rose-'

'Is just as dangerous as the TARDIS, in their hands.' The Doctor said, his voice hollow. He opened his eyes, keeping them on the console. 'She should have stayed where she was.'

'You don't mean that,' Martha said, stepping forward.

'She'd be alive!' The Doctor said harshly.

'No,' Mickey said. 'You didn't see her there. That wasn't Rose.' He met the Doctor's gaze. 'I don't reckon either of you would rather she never came back.'

They all saw the Doctor flinch slightly. Then he nodded, looking appalled at himself. He stiffened. 'Something's happening.'

'What?' Jack asked.

'Can any of you hear Jackie Tyler?' He saw the looks they exchanged. 'No? Oh _good_. I think I'm about to black out again.'

\/\/

Rose awoke, feeling wetness on her cheeks from the tears she'd been crying in her sleep.

'Rose, darlin' you're awake!' Her mum was beside her bed, her face a mess of streaked mascara. 'You got a shock sweetheart… Rose?'

She could feel herself drawing in great sobs. He was dying. Somewhere. She could see it still, in her mind. The pain was so intense it was almost blinding her. 'He's dying,' she gasped, desperate to make her mum understand what was wrong. 'He's alone and he's dying and he's so far away, mum.'

Her mum regarded her for a moment. 'I'd go to him, then, if I were you.'

\/\/

The Doctor opened his eyes, vaguely pleased that he'd maintained his perch on the jump seat. Would have been embarrassing if Jack'd had to pick him up again.

'What wasn't?' the man in question asked.

'What wasn't what?' The Doctor responded, shaking his head to clear it.

'You said 'that wasn't what happened',' Martha told him.

'Did I?'

'Yes!' all four of them said in unison, all giving him variations on the exasperated-look theme.

'Right. Yes. Course I did. 'Cos it didn't. I've got the feeling Jackie would never say that. Even if my life depended on it. Which it did.' He scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. 'They didn't want me,' he said, his tone distracted. 'Only wanted me to get to Rose. Why wouldn't they want me?'

'This isn't the time to worry about your wounded ego,' Donna said sharply.

'Shut up. They only wanted her because there's something she can do, something I'd stop. Something I'd _have_ to stop.'

'But she did loads while we were there.' Martha pointed out.

'Exactly. So it's something dangerous. Something forbidden,' he thought furiously for a moment, absentmindedly tugging at his hair. Then it came to him. The words of the Ood._ 'She runs through universes.'_

He stood, practically flying out of the seat. 'Oh! Oh I've been so _stupid_! So very stupid! Well… inasmuch as that's possible. They're making her believe… that's why it had to be those specific memories! They want her to open a path through the void to the parallel world!'

'What?' Jack asked. 'Why?'

'Power!' the Doctor responded, pulling the screen around and hitting keys. He kept catching glimpses of the sign on his wrist and had to force himself to look away. 'They want more power! They could suck the other universe dry.'

'Rose wouldn't do that…' Mickey said.

'She's got no choice. They're in her head. Controlling her. They're in her head and they're using their power to make her see things. And she's already exhausted.'

'But… wait. I thought they got their power _from _Rose?' Jack asked.

'Technically they've had it longer. They know how to use it. But Rose is more powerful than them or they wouldn't need her. Only trouble is she really can't control it. Every time she's done something its been forced through by her emotions. A completely emotional response. So they're using them against her.'

He nodded at the image of the ship he'd brought up on the monitor. 'That ship is just one massive energy converter. They've had two hundred years to perfect it. To design it to take advantage of one unique energy source.'

'The Bad Wolf,' Jack said.

The Doctor nodded and fell back into the jump seat, sighing. His next words were spoken in a hushed tone, as though he didn't want to be saying them and wanted them to be heard even less. 'I have to stop it. I have to destroy the ship. Or they'll rip the universes apart.' He looked up at the time rotor. 'Unless...'

'Why can't we just use the TARDIS and save her?' Martha asked. 'Doesn't this change things? Doctor? If what they're doing is so dangerous, why can't we-'

'We barely got away just now,' Donna said. 'And this time they have Rose. You heard what he said… they're _controlling_ her.'

'Doctor?' Martha demanded, ignoring Donna.

The Doctor stood, darting around the console and pulling up the floor panel. He ducked inside and rummaged around, throwing odd objects over his shoulder.

'What's going on?' Martha asked.

'He's lost it,' Mickey muttered.

'Nope,' The Doctor said, hauling himself out from the space under the console. 'Found it.' He tucked something into the inside pocket of his jacket. 'I can't take the TARDIS in there.'

'Then why does it look like that's what you're doing?' Jack asked, watching his friend's hands move over the controls.

'Because that's what I'm going to do. Should have said shouldn't. I _shouldn't_ take the TARDIS in there. But Motlok and all his three eyed little scientist friends… they're stupid,' he looked around at them. ' Ask me why they're stupid, Donna.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Why are they stupid?'

'They're trying to convince Rose she's trapped on the parallel world. Pete's world. They've looked inside her head and seen…' he broke off, uncomfortable, then continued. 'They think she'll open a path through the void for them, trying to get to me.'

'Why?'

'She thinks I'm regenerating.'

'So that's what she-' Martha began.

'Yep,' the Doctor said. 'It's a good plan,' he said, thoughtfully. 'Would be brilliant, in fact. But they just haven't paid attention. She said she knew _where_ I was, which means the _location_ was important.'

'You realise we have no clue what you're talking about, right?' Mickey asked.

'When Rose came through from the other universe, she didn't come through to _me. _She came through to the TARDIS. To a specific _place_. Even if that place is as geographically and chronologically complex as the TARDIS. If I hadn't been in the TARDIS I doubt she could have gotten to me.' He looked at Jack. 'Now, how can Rose – Rose, who is just _so_ human - how can she force her way from one universe to the other?'

'Bad Wolf,' Jack said, his slight hesitation making it sound like a question.

'And what is the "Bad Wolf"?' the Doctor asked, making quotes in the air with his fingers.

'Part of the TARDIS,' Jack said, a slow grin breaking over his features.

'Part of the _heart_ of the TARDIS!' The Doctor said, slapping a hand down against the console. 'Part of the heart…' he repeated, then shook his head. 'Never mind that. She could force her way from one universe to the other because inside Rose is a piece of the TARDIS-'

'Like me with the huon particles!' Donna said.

'Exactly!' The Doctor said, beaming. 'Well… not _exactly_. Different energy. But still… close.' Right… Sorry about this, but I'm dropping you off. If it starts to look bad for me I'll send the TARDIS back down to you-'

Donna bristled. 'Don't even think about it, spaceman! You're not "dropping us off" anywhere. We're coming with you!' Martha was nodding in fierce agreement.

'Donna, its dangerous. And quite frankly I don't need to be worrying about you lot when I'm trying to-' he stopped, staring up at the time rotor, which had started to move, albeit more sluggishly than was usual.

'Oi! I said no!' Donna shouted. Mickey smirked as he saw Martha wince at the loudness of Donna's voice directly in her ear.

'That's not me-' the Doctor said. He stared at the monitor. 'Well… too late to drop you off now. Looks like you're along for the ride.' He looked at their blank expressions and sighed. 'I keep telling you lot, but no one ever listens. The TARDIS is alive. Alive and a little bit telepathic. She knows where Rose is. Can sense that she's trying to get home.'

'But she is home,' Mickey said, 'the right universe I mean.'

'Exactly. So,' the Doctor said, releasing Martha and turning back to the console, 'instead of letting her rip a hole in the fabric of the universe, the TARDIS is filling the breach, trying to get to Rose.'

'Like before…' Donna said. 'She flew the TARDIS onto the ship.'

'_Close_, but no cigar,' the Doctor shook his head. 'That was a conscious effort. Probably took everything she had. This is unconscious, more the TARDIS than Rose.'

'How do you know it's Rose?' Martha asked, reluctant to voice the question, but feeling it needed to be asked.

'How do I know…' the Doctor asked, sounding as though he was trying to work it out himself. 'Well…' he pushed his sleeve back, turning his hand over and baring the inside of his wrist to their view. It was glowing. The symbols were white-hot against his skin. 'That's how.'

'It wasn't… glowing like that before,' Martha said.

'Doesn't it hurt?' Jack asked.

'Little bit,' the Doctor said, sliding his sleeve back into place. He returned his gaze to the time rotor, his expression thoughtful. 'She doesn't have enough _push_.' He murmured. Leaning forward, he pulled a lever, jumping back as it sparked viciously at him. 'Oi!' he sent a glare up at the time rotor. 'Behave!' The sparks shot out at him again as he stepped forward. 'O...kay. Maybe that's a bad idea.'

'Hang on,' Mickey said. 'That Christmas, when you… changed-'

'Regenerated,' the Doctor corrected.

'Whatever,' Mickey said, trying to stay on his train of thought. 'The translation circuit thing wasn't working while you were asleep-'

'Unconscious,' the Doctor muttered, not looking up from his study of the console.

'Rose said you were part of the TARDIS… part of its circuits…'

The Time Lord looked up finally, grabbing Mickey and planting a kiss on his forehead. 'Brilliant!'

'Not such an idiot now, am I?' Mickey asked, beaming.

The Doctor stepped towards the console again, ignoring the sparks and placing his hands on the surface of the console, leaning into it. The time rotor slowed slightly and the lights dipped even lower.

Martha looked worried. 'Doctor, is that-'

'Safe?' he finished for her. 'I have no-' he was cut off as the TARDIS lurched suddenly, the time rotor picking up pace and the lights brightening until the room was bathed in brilliant light. 'Ha!' the Doctor shouted, triumphant. 'Allons-y!'

\/\/


	21. Who'd Have Sonic?

Martha stepped forwards, her hand reaching out to touch the Doctor. Mickey grabbed her arm, pulling her away.

'I don't think that's a good idea,' he said, his hand sliding down easily to grasp hers. She squeezed back, her eyes intent on the Doctor.

The Time Lord was standing with his hands pressed against the console, his eyes tightly shut against the sparks that were still emanating from the TARDIS. Donna and Jack stood on his other side, both regarding the Doctor seriously, but apparently not feeling the need to step in.

Abruptly, the TARDIS jerked and the Doctor staggered back from the console, his eyes snapping open. 'Right-' he began, his gaze moving over the four of them. 'You're staying in here. I won't be-'

'Doctor,' Jack began, only to be interrupted by Martha.

'Doctor, I'm a doctor,' she grimaced as he looked vaguely bemused at the inelegance of her sentence. 'A _medical_ doctor, with qualifications and everything-'

'I've got qualifications!' the Doctor said, insulted.

'In human medicine?'

'Probably,' the Doctor said, glaring at her.

'Rose might need me,' Martha insisted.

'And you might need me and Jack,' Mickey said, folding his arms and looking stern.

'And I'm not staying behind on my own!' Donna shouted. 'Rose saved my life!'

The Doctor stared at them, apparently considering it. Then he shook his head. 'No. No you have to stay in here. In case I can't… In case I have to send the TARDIS away.' His expression softened slightly. 'I'll call you if I need you.'

They stared as he turned and headed for the doors. Just as he reached them, he turned back to them. 'Actually, Jack… would you mind…?'

Jack smiled grimly. 'Not at all. Good practice actually. When you're not sure of the odds, take the man who can't die.'

The Doctor nodded and opened the doors, slipping out into the room beyond. Before following him, Jack grabbed the viewscreen and pulled it around so they could all see, calling up the view of the room outside the TARDIS.

Then he was gone, too, closing the doors behind himself with a soft click.

\/\/

As they exited the TARDIS, they found themselves back in the main audience chamber. The lights were dimmer, and the room was considerably emptier than it had been previously. The room had only two occupants. The one closest to the TARDIS was one of the scientists they'd seen earlier. He was staring intently at Motlok.

Motlok, who was standing in front of the frame he'd had the Doctor strapped to before. Only now it was Rose up there. She looked unconscious; her head had fallen until her chin rested on her chest. Motlok was standing with his hands on either side of her face.

'Do not let him approach.' Motlok said, not looking up from his apparently intense study of Rose's face.

The Doctor reached into a pocket and withdrew his screwdriver, aiming it at the scientist, who had moved towards him. 'I really wouldn't, if I were you.'

Rose stirred slightly in her restraints. 'It is a tool only!' Motlok snapped. 'Kindly keep him from speaking!'

'Yeah,' Jack scoffed, 'good luck with that!'

As the scientist resumed his approach, the Doctor looked at the screwdriver, as though seeing it for the first time. 'You're right,' he said to Motlok's back. 'A sonic screwdriver isn't a weapon. Not threatening at all really. Except…' he raised it again, 'this one isn't sonic.' He activated the screwdriver, sending a jet of light past the scientist at the wall, where it threw up sparks.

Martha stared at the screen, finally realising what the Doctor was holding. The Master's laser screwdriver.

Motlok turned, holding out a hand to still the other scientist.

'Glad I could get your attention,' the Doctor said, a mirthless smile flickering across his face.

'It would seem that you do possess weapons, Doctor.'

'This?' he waved the laser screwdriver carelessly. 'Nah. Borrowed it off a mate. Well... I say a mate...' he trailed off. 'Move away from her.' He brought the laser screwdriver around, aiming it at Motlok's face as he advanced on the scientist.

Motlok waved a hand, obviously expecting the laser screwdriver to fly out of the Doctor's hand.

'Oh dear,' the Doctor said, his voice dripping with mock concern, 'telekinesis playing up? Really shouldn't have shown me that little trick before.'

'So you have learned,' Motlok shrugged.

'I have,' the Doctor said, 'shame you sent all your guards away.'

'They are not worthy to witness,' Motlok said. 'You will not kill me, Doctor, we have already established this.' Nevertheless, he edged away from Rose as the Doctor approached.

'Read my mind and call me a liar,' the Doctor said, his voice low.

'A safe challenge since you know we cannot.'

The Doctor ignored him, his gaze drifting to Rose, finally. 'Rose,' he called, his voice soft.

'She is locked in her own mind,' Motlok said. 'She can hear you, but it will just become part of the memory. And so many of her memories centre on you, Doctor. So many painful memories.'

The Time Lord continued to ignore Motlok. He dropped the laser screwdriver into his jacket pocket and reached for her, his fingers stopping just short of touching her wrist. She seemed to be wired into the frame, which itself was wired into the floor.

'You've got her hooked up to the ship,' Jack said, staring. 'Like a generator.'

'The Bad Wolf is one of the most potent sources of power in this universe. You have kindly delivered the other,' Motlok informed the Doctor, nodding towards the TARDIS. He began to walk towards the Time Lord again.

'Stay where you are,' the Doctor warned, his hand sliding into his pocket again. 'Both of you.'

'You have made no move to free her. We continue to draw energy from her and you have done nothing to stop it.'

'I don't want to hurt her,' the Doctor growled, glaring at Motlok.

'Or is it because it is truly difficult to deny your nature? The Time Lords, watching the universe turn. Doing nothing to intercede, nothing to help. Then: their final act, devastating us with their Time War. We thought you came to save her, but perhaps you merely came to watch her burn? Like you watched Gallifrey burn.'

'Oh no,' the Doctor said, rounding on him, 'I'm taking her out of here.' He turned back to Rose. 'I'm taking her out of here and there's nothing you can do to stop me.'

He took hold of Rose's face in his hands and tilted it upwards, then gasped as her mind washed over him. Jack sprinted forwards, his hand delving into the Doctor's pocket and withdrawing the laser screwdriver, training it on Motlok.

'Don't get any ideas,' he began, but the scientist leader's eyes were misted over. Wherever the Doctor had gone, Motlok and the rest had followed.

\/\/

Rose was sobbing uncontrollably. Jackie was hovering around her, trying to comfort her daughter. Rose was kneeling in the sand, in front of her lay the Doctor – the human Doctor – quite obviously dead. The Doctor stared, utterly horrified, at the memory-scene gripping Rose's mind. Then he strode forwards and dragged her to her feet, pulling her into his arms. He could sense others here, no doubt Motlok and his goons were tuning in, but he didn't care.

Rose pushed him away. 'You're not here! You can't be here!' She backed away, then continued in a softer tone, 'You left me.'

He stared at her for a moment, unsure how to respond. Then he cleared his throat. 'I'm here,' he said, 'Well... not really. Neither of us is really here now. Because this isn't happening right now. This happened a long time ago. It can't hurt you anymore than it already has. I need you to wake up, Rose.'

She was staring at him, her eyes wide. Around them, the beach was fading. Jackie and the body on the sand had already disappeared.

'Think about it,' he continued, encouraged by this. 'You remember things that have happened since this, don't you?'

She nodded, still uncertain.

'Rose, do you trust me?'

She looked as though she was going to shake her head, her eyes were still wide and terrified. Then she gave a quick nod. He held out his hand to her, wiggling his fingers slightly. She looked down at it, as though expecting something dreadful to happen. When it didn't, she stepped forward and took it, threading her fingers through his.

He looked down at their hands, and was immediately assaulted with a thousand different images of her hand in his. From the very first – _Run!_ – to her taking his hand onboard the Dalek Crucible, to their hands entwined as he tried to stop her tickling him as they lay in bed together. As Rose gasped, he realised this particular set of images were coming from his own mind, and shut them down.

Jack watched as the Doctor's hand slid along Rose's arm and entwined itself with hers. Then the Time Lord's eyes opened. He threw a glance over his shoulder to Jack, took in the other man's defensive stance, and nodded gratefully. The Doctor moved his hands to the wires trailing from Rose's wrists. Gently, he eased one of them out of her skin, wincing slightly as she flinched.

'You will not take her from us!' Motlok cried, panic in his voice for the first time. 'The Bad Wolf is ours and we want to bring her into the light. You, Doctor… you would keep her in the darkness with you. To keep by your side until you have no more need of her, then to discard, to forget!'

'No.'

Motlok spun as the word sounded behind him. Martha, Mickey and Donna were standing just outside the TARDIS doors, their gazes fixed on Rose and the Doctor.

It was Donna who had spoken, but Martha who continued. 'That's not right. When I travelled with him, there was this one time he had to hide. He forgot everything… the TARDIS, the Time Lords… everything. He thought he was human, forgot who he was… but he remembered _her_.'

As Martha spoke, the Doctor had carried on pulling wires out of Rose, finally arriving at the one they'd put into her neck. As he pulled it out, her eyes flickered open. She gasped, as though she hadn't been getting enough air for a while. Motlok turned, hissing in anger as he saw Rose was conscious, but still held at bay by Jack.

She stared at the Doctor, not quite sure who he was for a moment, then smiled. He grinned back at her, and Martha found herself wondering at the ease with which the expression appeared. He'd never seemed to smile so quickly before.

'Hello,' Rose said.

'Hello,' the Doctor responded, still grinning at her.

'D'you think you could get me down? Y'know, if it's not too much trouble?' Rose's voice was weak, exhausted.

The Doctor looked momentarily concerned at this, but then slid his hand into his inside pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver.

'Leave her where she is!' Motlok said, starting forwards. His gaze fixed on Jack, 'I wonder…' he waved a hand and the laser screwdriver flew out of the Captain's hand, clattering away to the edge of the room.

'Uh… Doctor?' Jack said.

The Doctor ignored him and carried on undoing the bonds that held Rose in place.

Motlok smiled grimly and moved towards the Doctor.

'Ah!' the Doctor said, getting Rose down from the frame and holding her against his side, supporting her weight. He turned, backing towards the TARDIS, Jack appearing on Rose's other side to help support her. 'You really shouldn't…'

'You have lost your only weapon, Doctor,' Motlok snarled. 'I should have realised the immortal couldn't hold onto it.'

The Doctor shrugged. 'Oh… well... I'm a bit rubbish with weapons, me. Rose thinks its funny. Don't you Rose?' he looked down at her and saw her eyes were falling shut again. 'Might wanna stay conscious for this, Rose, I'm about to be impressive.'

Jack snorted at that but Rose opened her eyes. 'If I had to stay awake every time you thought you were being impressive I'd never get any sleep,' she murmured, but managed to keep her eyes open.

The Doctor looked amused, then switched his attention back to Motlok. 'Anyway… always laughing at me, she is. "You're terrible with weapons," she says. And she's right. I am. I really am. But... I'm very good, very, very good - _brilliant_, even... With tools.' He raised the sonic screwdriver and activated it. Behind Motlok the wall panel the Doctor had damaged earlier sparked again. 'You really shouldn't have let me damage that wall earlier.'

'What are you doing?' the other scientist asked, when Motlok appeared to be too intent on Rose to speak.

'Creating a feedback loop. All that power you took, all that energy. All of it with nowhere to go…'

'The ship will explode!'

'That,' the Doctor said, noting that they were almost at the TARDIS. 'Is not my problem. I usually give people a chance – just one chance – to save themselves. But you lot, Rose already gave you your chance earlier.'

'An' we're a team,' Rose murmured, just loud enough to be heard.

'That's right,' the Doctor said, glancing down at her as she looked up at him. 'The stuff of legends. Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake…' He returned his gaze to Motlok, who looked momentarily confused. 'She's Shiver,' he clarified as he heard Rose murmur, 'He's Shake.' He huffed out a laugh and nodded to his friends to get the TARDIS open. Martha turned, dragging her key out of her pocket.

'You would make her complicit in our murder?' Motlok asked. The Doctor froze.

'You did this to yourselves,' Jack spat.

Motlok ignored him, concentrating on the Doctor. 'How many has she killed for you, this human child you care for so very much?'

'What makes you think she's a child?' the Doctor asked, dismissing the rest of the scientist-leader's sentence.

'Her body has no great age. No more than a quarter of a century, as she measures time. By her own human standards she is still little more than a child.'

'Oh, _bodies_,' the Doctor scoffed. 'Wouldn't pay too much attention to bodies, if I were you. Look at me. Look at Jack, for that matter. Rose is not a child. Surprised you didn't see that, when you were in her head. But you were too busy ripping her mind to shreds.'

'It matters little. Look at her, Doctor.'

The Doctor glanced down and saw that Rose was once again unconscious.

'She may not age,' Motlok continued. 'But she can die. And she will. She is so very... Jeopardy friendly. Your own words. And she will die. So much sooner than you think. I have seen it.'

'Shut up,' the Doctor snapped.

'We are time sensitive beings, Doctor. Your Time War all but destroyed that aspect of our physiology, but not quite. Would you like to know how she dies?'

'Doctor,' Jack said urgently. All around them, the ship was beginning to fail. The others had already stepped into the TARDIS.

The Doctor turned and he and Jack moved towards the TARDIS doors, holding Rose between them.

'You will lose her, Doctor, as you lose everything you love!' Motlok shouted as the doors closed. 'Don't you want to know how it happens?'

\/\/


	22. Lie to Me

Rose awoke, but kept her eyes closed for a few moments. Savouring the soft feel of her bed beneath her, the sounds of the TARDIS around her. Another sound intruded on her peaceful moment with the ship. Right at the edge of hearing, murmured words. She opened her eyes, relieved that she did in fact appear to be in her room. The Doctor was sitting on her bedroom floor, the pieces of what appeared to be an old phone she'd left behind spread on the carpet in front of him.

Apparently sensing that she was awake, he looked up at her. She smiled at him, expecting him to smile back and begin their _hello, hello_ ritual. Instead, he just continued to look at her, his eyes studying her face intently, his expression serious.

When it became apparent that he wasn't going to speak, Rose asked, 'You all right?'

He gathered up the pieces of the phone, slotting them into place with record speed, then stood, dropping the phone into a pocket. 'I'm always all right.'

'Are you though?' she asked, sitting up.

He looked away, tugging at his earlobe. 'Course I am. I'll just… I'll get Martha to have a look at you.'

'I'm fine,' Rose insisted, realising it was true as she said it. She felt fine. 'How long was I asleep?'

'You were _unconscious_,' he corrected, 'for three hours.'

'Is that all?' she asked. She really did feel fine. Better than fine. 'So how did everything go on the planet?'

'Jack and Mickey are out there now,' he said, looking down at his feet. 'They'll check in with us in a bit.'

'Hang on, have you not even been out there yet?' She turned, swinging her legs out from under the covers and putting her feet on the floor. 'Would have thought you'd be the first one out the door.' She stretched, looking down at herself for the first time. She appeared to be wearing the t-shirt the Doctor had left in here before. And very little else. She looked up at him. 'Who undressed me?'

'I did,' he said. 'That's all right, isn't it?'

She grinned. 'Better you than Jack,' she said, winking.

He nodded, still utterly failing to meet her eyes.

'All right, you've had your chance,' she snapped. 'What's goin' on? Why aren't you out there getting this sorted so we can leave?'

'I…' he began. Then he snapped his jaw closed. For a moment a hunted look passed over his face, then it was gone. 'I'll just get to that, then, shall I? I'll send Martha to…' he turned and exited the room, leaving the sentence unfinished.

'Oi!' Rose called, her eyes hunting around the room for her jeans. 'No you don't!'

\/\/

Martha and Donna were heading for the control room. They'd both been at a bit of a loose end for the last couple of hours. Martha had stayed on board to keep an eye on Rose, though truth be told, she hadn't had much of an opportunity for that, what with the Doctor standing guard over her. Donna had stayed to keep an eye on the Doctor himself, but had drawn the line at actually following him into Rose's room.

Up ahead they could hear raised voices.

Martha turned to Donna. 'Is that… are they arguing?'

'Sounds like it,' Donna replied, raising an eyebrow. She started forward, but Martha caught her arm.

'Where are you going?'

'That door over there leads to that balcony bit in the console room.'

'We really shouldn't…'

'Come on,' Donna said, 'you can say I twisted your arm later if you want.'

Martha followed her. 'What if they see us?'

'Sound of them? Don't think they're gonna be looking around much.'

They crept onto the balcony, taking care to stay well back.

Below them, Rose was standing with her hands on her hips glaring at the Doctor. 'You should be out there, with Mickey and Jack. I promised Mriske you'd help them!'

'Well…' the Doctor said sarcastically. 'If you promised _Mriske_… Martha!'

Martha jumped, but the Doctor seemed to be merely calling for her, rather than have spotted her. Donna shot her a stern look and put a finger over her lips.

'I'm sure Martha's a great doctor, but I'm not sure this is her sort of thing. And anyway…' Rose continued. 'I'm _fine_.'

He whirled on her, suddenly meeting her eyes and glaring at her. 'You are _not_ fine. You… Rose Tyler… you are far from fine. You can't be fine!'

She gaped at him. 'You sound like you want there to be something wrong with me,' she said, her voice hushed.

He scrubbed both hands over his face, running them through his hair. 'Don't be ridiculous.'

'Me?' she asked, giving a short mirthless laugh. 'What about you?'

'I'm not being ridiculous, Rose. I should have checked you out the moment you got back. I don't know what I was thinking…'

'I do,' Rose muttered, not quite under her breath.

'Rose!' he snapped.

She glared at him, then, folding her arms across her chest.

'Is that his t-shirt?' Martha hissed to Donna, who raised her eyebrows and tried not to smile.

'You just can't leave it alone, can you?' Rose said. 'Just can't accept that you don't know everything…'

'If I'm going to have countless power hungry idiots chasing us all over the universe to get hold of you I'd quite like to know about it in advance, if its all the same to you!'

'And you think _Martha's_ gonna be able to tell you that, do you?'

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, his jaw slack. 'No,' he admitted.

'Then why-'

'Because I need time to think!' he ground out. 'And when you're here… when you're standing just there all I _can_ think about is that you are!'

Rose looked confused. 'Are what?'

'Here! With me. And the idea… just the idea that you're going to disappear again really doesn't appeal, Rose. It really doesn't.' He lapsed into silence, leaning against the console with his arms folded across his chest and glared at her again.

She studied him a moment, stepping closer so that he had to tilt his head down in order to continue glaring. She grinned up at him, which only served to intensify the glare. 'Oh,' she said, looking up at him and appearing to study his expression intently. 'Is that? Yeah,' she nodded. 'Definitely. It is!'

'What?' he snapped.

'It's the Oncoming Storm,' she said, her voice sounding like she was trying not to laugh.

From where Martha and Donna were sitting, the Doctor did not look amused. 'Rose-' he began.

'I'm shaking in my boots,' she continued, stepping closer.

'_Rose_-' he tried again.

'Terrified,' she continued. 'Seriously, I am.'

The Doctor's lips twitched, as though he was trying not to smile. 'Shut up.'

She leaned against the console next to him, so that their sides were pressed together. He unfolded his arms and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. 'Rose, I-'

'_Doctor_. Stop. We can worry about me later, okay? I just want to sort this lot out so we can get the hell out of here.'

He looked down at the top of her head. 'You must be tired.'

'Nope,' she said. 'And I don't even want to _start_ thinkin' about that yet. Just - for now - lie to me and tell me you think everything's gonna be okay. Then we can go out there and save the world – again – and we can leave.'

His fingers flexed convulsively, making her look down at their joined hands.

'What's that?'

'What?'

'That, on your wrist,' she said, pushing away from the console and lifting their joined hands so she could look at his wrist properly.

'Oh,' he said, 'that? That's… that's… that's nothing.'

'Looks like that mark on my neck,' she said, pulling his wrist up to her eyes and examining it.

'Uh… yeah,' he cleared his throat. 'Yes. That's because…' He trailed off as Rose ducked her head, running her tongue over the mark on his wrist. The Doctor hissed out a breath, his eyes closing as he sagged against the console. He flailed with his other hand to steady himself.

'Huh… most people notice when someone opens the door to their ship. You guys are so _hot_.'

\/\/


	23. Not Like Them

The Doctor was glaring at Jack. Rose had disappeared down the corridor, heading for her room and a change of clothes.

'Oh please, with the glare,' Jack said finally, smirking at the Doctor. 'Give it up, Doctor. You're just mad 'cos I interrupted.'

The Doctor looked away, turning to the console and fiddling, trying to look busy. 'Did you want something, Jack?'

Jack regarded him for a moment, then said, 'Yeah. The villagers did a pretty good job in our absence, but the scientists used escape pods when the ship exploded.'

'It exploded?' The Doctor asked, shooting a sideways glance at Jack.

'It did. Nice work, by the way.'

'I do my best.'

'Sure you do. Anyway, Motlok and his cronies are holed up in the facility up on the hill, the one we stole the shuttle from to come rescue you-'

'I didn't need-' The Doctor began.

'_You're welcome_,' Jack cut in. 'Long story short, the villagers won't go near the place, can't say I blame 'em, but it leaves us with a problem.'

'It does. Can't you talk to them? Convince them that-'

'Mickey's trying now,'

'Mickey?' the Doctor repeated, sounding amused.

'Yes, _Mickey_. He can be quite persuasive when he wants to be.'

'Well that's obvious. He convinced Martha to marry him.'

Jack chuckled at that. 'Well… however he managed that, its not working here. They've got wounded, so he wants Martha to get out there. He also says he needs you. And Rose.'

'No.'

'Doctor…'

'I said no, Jack. I'm sure I did. Heard myself quite distinctly. No.'

Jack cocked his head to one side. 'Don't you think you're being a bit overprotective?'

'You heard what Motlok said,' the Doctor murmured, his voice so quiet Martha and Donna barely caught the words. 'How many people have to warn me before I listen, Jack?' He sighed heavily. 'She's not stepping out of those doors.'

'That's ridiculous!'

The Doctor turned as Donna's voice rang out through the console room. Donna looked shocked at her own outburst. She looked around quickly, but Martha had used her better reflexes and rolled out of the Doctor's line of vision. _Well that's just __**wizard**__._

'Have you been up there the whole time?' the Doctor demanded.

Caught, Donna decided to do what she did best. Brazen it out. 'Never you mind,' she said, picking herself up and climbing down to the deck of the console room. 'You really are the worst kind of intergalactic space dunce, aren't you?'

The Doctor glared at her, offended. Beside him, Jack looked as though this was possibly one of the most amusing things he'd ever seen.

'No point looking at me like that, spaceman. Never scared me before, doesn't scare me now,' Donna lied. 'I reckon I could take you in a fight.' The Doctor's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. 'Do you really think Rose is going to stay behind, on the TARDIS, while you go out there and… do what you do?' He didn't answer her. 'Rose Tyler?' she reminded. 'She who crosses universes in order to get to someone who has to be the stupidest man in the whole of time and space? Twice. You thought, what? She'd just sit happily in the TARDIS twiddling her thumbs?'

Jack looked amused. 'You tried to send her away before, remember? Satellite Five? And what happened?'

'She came back,' the Doctor admitted.

'She yanked the TARDIS open, absorbed the time vortex and she came back,' Jack corrected. 'For you.'

The Doctor looked away, his jaw tensing.

'That's settled then,' Rose said, walking back into the room, closely followed by Martha. 'Shall we?'

\/\/

Rose and the Doctor had barely spoken two words to one another on the way to the village. They weren't _not_ talking to each other, Donna mused, as she watched them. It seemed more like they were afraid to speak, afraid to look at one another. The Doctor had steadfastly kept up a murmured argument with Jack while Rose had been content to listen to Donna and Martha talk, her eyes on the ground in front of her.

Now they were sitting in what passed for a town hall, listening to Mickey and Jack outline the basis of their plan. The Doctor leaned against the wall, his hands shoved into his pockets. Rose was sitting off to one side with Donna, watching Jack and Mickey intently. Donna appeared to be mostly watching Rose, her attention occasionally wandering over to the Doctor, who steadfastly ignored her.

Then Mickey stood off to one side and Rose stood, walking over to the blueprints they had laid out on the large table. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes briefly and nodding towards the table, indicating that he should probably get over there and start being impressive. Help them with their brilliant plan. Trouble was, he just couldn't muster the enthusiasm. She narrowed her eyes at him, a puzzled expression crossing her face for just a second. Then she shrugged and looked down at the map, raising her voice so she could be heard throughout the hall.

He watched her as she spoke, sensing the way the crowd around her were impressed with what she had to say. He was impressed. That was Rose, standing there giving orders in a clipped tone he didn't recognise. Maybe impressed wasn't the word. Perturbed, now. Perturbed was a good word.

A week ago, he'd been sure he was going to die. Then he'd effectively handed out a death sentence to his entire race. Again. And then she'd saved him. Again and again. And he'd saved her. He'd been ready to take the TARDIS to her before she called for it. Because he needed to. Because-

'You should see her plot an escape.' The voice came from behind the Doctor, interrupting his train of thought. He tore his eyes away from Rose and turned to see Mickey watching him. 'You don't have to look so worried,' Mickey went on. 'This was what she did the whole time we were on that parallel world. Kept herself busy. Kept herself awake. Said she was afraid to sleep.' He moved until he was leaning against the wall beside the Doctor and grinned. 'You remember that probe that brought the Sycorax on Christmas day?' The Doctor nodded. 'She had it recalled and shipped to her lab. All the scientists gathered around,' he gave an amused snort, 'they thought she was gonna do something, I don't know - _alien_. Anyway, she got a marker pen, and wrote _It Is Defended_ across it in massive letters. Got someone to write it in binary too. And she nicked the blood sample out of it.' Mickey's expression was amused. He turned his eyes back to where Jack was talking now, Rose having stepped back slightly. 'Ended up with her own team. Two. When the dimension cannon started workin' and she went through to all those other worlds. Well... They never knew what hit 'em. Stepped right in and took over. Ran U.N.I.T. and Torchwood in two separate realities. Destroyed two Torchwoods too.'

The Doctor glanced back over at her. At that moment, Rose looked up at him and smiled. The image of the military leader Mickey was describing was dispelled. Shattered by the brilliance of the smile she sent him.

'She said she could find you,' Mickey went on. 'We didn't believe her. Said she could feel this universe, pulling her away from the parallel earth. She said she didn't feel... connected. Like she wasn't walking on real ground.'

'Did you feel like that?' the Doctor asked quietly.

'Nah. She said it was like the planet was dead. She couldn't feel it move. People thought she was crazy. Like properly mental.'

'You didn't,' the Doctor said, looking over at Mickey.

'No,'

They lapsed into silence again. Then Mickey said. 'If it was Martha, if he'd said Martha was gonna die, as good as threatened her, I'd have killed him.' The Doctor stared at him, unsettled by the quiet certainty in his voice, but Mickey's gaze was fixed on Martha now as he carried on. She was moving among the people, heading for a seat. 'But you can't, can you?'

'No. I can't. She won't let me.'

'Nah. You wouldn't. Because you're the Doctor and that's not who you are. Not who she is either. But you could run. None of us would judge you for it.'

'She would.'

Mickey nodded. 'Yeah. She would. She judges you by your standards.'

'Doctor?'

The Doctor looked up. Mriske was standing in front of him, her expression unreadable. 'Mriske,' he greeted. 'Hello.'

'I would like to speak with you, Doctor. In private, please.'

Mickey shrugged and pushed away from the wall. 'Should go and make sure Martha's all right anyway.'

He walked off in Martha's direction and the Doctor looked up at Mriske, his expression expectant.

'Walk with me,' she said, turning away and heading out of the hall.

The Doctor shrugged and followed her out. Donna walked along behind him, unnoticed.

She stopped just outside the hall, in what appeared to be a very unkempt garden, and sat on a bench. The Doctor sat beside her.

After a few moments' silence, Mriske spoke, her gaze fixed in the middle distance, not meeting the Doctor's. 'Give me your hand.' Reluctantly, the Doctor offered his right hand, palm up. She took it and drew in a breath. 'Gallifrey's prodigal son. Gallifrey's_ lost_ son.' He had to work hard not to snatch his hand away. She seemed to sense this and tightened her grip. 'But you are not like them. You were never like them. Not loom-spun. Born. They teased you mercilessly. A rebel. A radical. But so brilliant. Tried and exiled by your own people, only to be recalled, made president. You ran. They felt it coming, their destruction. The Dalek plague that would consume the universe. Drafted you and sent to the front lines to fight. Because you could. Because they did not understand how. And you went. Suffered the bitter taste of so much death and destruction that you were consumed by it. Watched them gain understanding and become good at war. But you were the one that had to end it. No, you are not like they were. Not at all.'

He did attempt to pull his hand away then, her words conjuring images of the lonely child he'd been. And the soldier. 'I don't need-'

'Reminding?' she asked, redoubling her grip. 'Yes you do. You stole their futures, Doctor, when you ended the war. Stole their futures as surely as you stole hers.' Images of what Rose's life could have – _would have_ – been without him assaulted his mind. He saw her married. With children. A job. A house with doors and carpets. A life. A death.

'I can see so very much with you here,' Mriske said distantly. 'Instead of that, she chose you, Doctor. And now you are bound. The last of your kind to the first of hers. You looked into time, and time looked into you, _chose _you. You are a Time Lord. But you ran. Kept running. Carried time with you, near you. She did not run.' She looked at him, releasing his hand finally. 'And now the golden poison she carries has branded both of you. Bound you, one to the other. And you have not told her.'

'I don't know-' the Doctor began.

Mriske stood, suddenly tall in front of him. 'You suspect. With your intelligence that is practically the same thing. I must return to the meeting. You will remember this, however, Doctor. You can run with her, but not from her. You cannot know what will happen when you are so afraid to look. And you cannot avoid losing her, if that is what is supposed to happen.'

'I don't believ in fate,' the Doctor said, his voice hard.

'No. You do not. And yet you have seen them. Those two words, everywhere she put them.'

He remembered scrambling out of a tent, after Donna had whispered the message to him. The way his stomach had flipped over when he saw the words plastered all over the market town, all over the TARDIS. _His _TARDIS. _Bad Wolf_.

Mriske was speaking again. 'If you are meant to be separate, it is something you will have to learn to bear. You are a Time Lord, a child of Gallifrey, and you know this.' She turned, her robe swirling out around her and left the garden, heading back into the building. As she passed the bench, she paused and looked down at him. 'Remember also that you were never like them,' she said, her tone softer than it had been. Then she carried on into the hall.

\/\/


	24. The Oncoming Storm

The Doctor stared out over the garden for a few moments, his hand still resting palm up on his thigh.

'Talkative lot, aren't they?' Donna asked, sitting down on the bench next to him.

The Doctor cleared his throat and retracted his hand, shoving it into his pocket. 'Yeah.' He looked over at Donna. 'Is Rose-'

'She's fine,' Donna assured him. 'She's in there right now, asking for volunteers to storm that lab and take on Motlok's lot. They're tripping over themselves to sign up.' She eyed him speculatively. 'That mark on your wrist...'

'I'd rather not talk about it,' the Doctor said quickly.

Donna ignored him. 'What is it?'

The Doctor sighed. Then he reached out and took her left hand, sliding his thumb over her wedding band. 'See that?' Donna nodded. 'Its well... It's like that. A bit. Not much really, but a bit. Only we didn't have a choice. Rose didn't have a choice.'

Donna rolled her eyes. 'You aren't half dense. From what she said she dragged herself here to you. To save you.' she said firmly, as though speaking to a child. The Doctor dropped her hand and looked back out over the garden. 'That's a choice. She could have left you to... Change. Could have stayed where she was safe. But she didn't. Because she loves you.' The Doctor seemed to deflate just a little more. Donna's expression softened. 'What he said… that Motlok bloke… just because he said it, that doesn't make it true, you know.'

'He was too pleased with himself, Donna. He was telling the truth.'

'Doesn't mean it happens now,' Donna said stubbornly.

'Its almost as if I can keep the universe from noticing she's here, it won't take her away again,' he said softly.

Donna raised her eyebrows. 'So now the universe is conspiring against you? Healthy ego you've got there.'

He looked over at her, smiling ruefully. 'I'm glad Rose fixed you.'

'Me too. Someone's got to keep you in check, stop your head getting any bigger.'

The Doctor sighed again. 'If I could just get her to go back…'

'You don't want that!'

'She'd be safe! It's better if she's safe. It doesn't matter what I want… as long as I know she's safe it won't hurt so much that I can't see her… that I can't...' he trailed off, swallowing past a suddenly dry throat.

'You believe that you'll believe anything,' Donna said dryly.

'She'll never be safe with me, Donna,' he said quietly. 'You don't understand. Not ever. And she's different. Changed. You heard him. She won't age, won't change, but she will die. She's not like Jack-'

'And you know that now.'

The Doctor opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a rapidly indrawn breath behind them. He turned to see Rose standing only a couple of feet away.

'You - you thought I was like Jack,' she said, her voice a whisper. 'That's why you...' She shook her head, then turned on her heel and hastily retreated into the building.

The Doctor stood, but didn't follow.

'Go after her,' Donna urged.

'Maybe its better this way,' he said miserably. 'I don't know if-'

'Me and Shawn,' Donna interrupted, 'we fight sometimes. And when I _occasionally_ fly off the handle and go off in a huff,' the Doctor looked at her incredulously. 'Oi!' Donna reprimanded softly. 'Anyway, on those rare occasions, I secretly want him to come after me.' She regarded him seriously for a moment. 'I like to think he wants to, as well. To be the one to make me feel better.'

'I'm sure there's a point to this, Donna...'

'Go after her.'

She expected him to argue. Or sulk. Or just pretend she hadn't spoken. Instead he regarded her for a moment, then turned and headed after Rose. Just as he reached the door she'd gone through, he turned. 'Thanks.' Then he was gone, not waiting for a response.

Donna contented herself with muttering to the garden. 'Just hope Rose lets you explain before she gives you the slap of your life.'

\/\/

He'd forgotten just how quickly Rose could move when she needed to. He caught up with her at Mriske's kitchen. 'Rose.'

She didn't stop, refused to even spare him a glance. 'I'm gonna get some sleep, yeah? We've got a few hours to go before we're ready.'

'_Rose,_' he tried again, following her out of the kitchen into a narrow corridor.

'Why don't you see if Jack and Mickey need your help?'

'I didn't think you were like Jack,' he said. Finally, she stopped and turned to face him. He continued. 'I can sense Jack. He feels_ weird_... because he's going to be around for a very long time. Killed over and over but never dying. I know when he dies, and it's not for millions of years. _You_ know. Frankly I'm not even certain about that. Jack feels wrong to me, but you- I can't sense you. Not like that. You will die Rose, you just have a much longer life expectancy than your average human, same as me.'

'You don't die, you regenerate,' she said, the words coming out on a whisper, rather than in the accusatory tone she was sure she'd intended to use.

'Not indefinitely. I only have a certain number of regenerations and I've gone through them rather quickly these last few years. Bit too quickly, if I'm honest.' He stepped forwards, apparently emboldened by the fact that she didn't back away.

As he took her hand, she saw waves crashing on the beach and felt sick to her stomach. She could see herself standing there, the human Doctor standing just beyond. This was odd, she realised as her brain assimilated the fact that the perspective she was seeing this from was his.

'And how was that sentence gonna end?' she asked.

There were suddenly words tumbling through her head. The Doctor's thoughts, almost too fast to make sense of. She concentrated_. Love you. Want you. Need you. Come home. Run. _'Does it need to be said?'

Rose felt something akin to anguish wash over her as she watched herself kissing his human counterpart. Quite well by the look of it. Very well. Images of dragging her away, back into the TARDIS and out of here flitted through his mind. _I'm really good at this keeping a straight face stuff. Should raise the stakes more when I play poker with Donna. Except there's no more poker with Donna. Ever again._ The whirling of his thoughts seemed to coalesce into one._ If I don't go now I'll be stuck here._

Rose heard her own words echo through his mind, spoken when they'd thought the TARDIS lost to them. _Stuck here with you. That's not so bad._

Abruptly, the link closed between their minds closed and they were once more standing in a corridor somewhere in Mriske's house. He turned, pulling her hand. 'Come on.'

'I heard what you said to Donna,' she said, hating herself for needing his reassurance. Wishing he could give it without being asked. 'You wish I'd go back there. You don't want me.'

He stopped so suddenly that her momentum threw her against his back. He turned, keeping himself pressed against her, his eyes locking on hers immediately. She stepped back, alarmed at the intensity of his gaze, and he followed, pressing her against the door behind her. 'I want you,' he said, and the sound of his voice made her blush.

She waited, expecting him to qualify the sentence; to add that he meant he wanted her here, or wanted her safe. But he didn't. Instead, he pressed the hard lines of his body against her, his eyes dropping to her lips for a fraction of a second, before darting back up to meet her gaze again.

For a moment, the sense of a decision made washed over Rose, bringing with it a feeling of resignation that she knew wasn't her own. Then it was gone, eradicated by the feeling of his mouth on hers.

\/\/

Rose knew she was alone before she opened her eyes. She was tangled in the sheets of a bed they'd found in one of the rooms off their corridor and the Doctor was gone. She sensed that very little time had passed. No one had come looking for her, unless the Doctor had told them not to.

She stood and dressed quickly, wondering at the fact that she didn't feel angry, or neglected. She was worried. Just before he'd kissed her there had been something… a feeling… Like the feeling you got when all the hairs on the back of your neck stood up. She raised a hand and ran it over the back of her neck, trying to feel the mark she'd seen there.

When she entered the kitchen she was greeted by the sight all their friends, apparently in deep conversation with Mriske. Martha spotted her first and stood, 'Rose, the Doctor, he's-'

'Gone,' Rose supplied. 'I know.'

'Did he say something to you?' Mickey asked.

'No,' Rose said, feeling that she was masking her feelings on the matter quite admirably. She met Donna's gaze and decided that maybe she wasn't.

'The TARDIS is out back,' Jack said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Mriske's garden. 'Appeared there a little while ago.'

Rose nodded. 'He's gone to the facility.'

'Most likely,' Jack agreed.

'Why didn't he just wait for us?' Mickey asked, sounding frustrated.

'He has to offer them a chance…' Martha said.

Donna shook her head, her eyes on Rose. 'No. That's not it.'

'Is everyone ready to go?' Rose asked, looking at Mickey and Jack.

Mickey nodded. 'Pretty much.'

'Well, then…'

'Its not exactly a fearsome fighting force,' Martha interrupted, her objection sounding half hearted.

'It'll do.' Rose walked past them and out to the garden, coming to a stop beside the TARDIS. She laid a hand against the blue box, closing her eyes for a moment as she sensed the others filing out behind her.

'There is a storm coming.'

Rose's eyes snapped open and she spun, glaring at Mriske. 'Shut up.'

Mriske looked unruffled by Rose's sudden anger. 'He knows it, your Doctor. Knows there is nothing he can do. There is a storm approaching-

'Yeah, and it'll be me if you even _think_ about saying that again,' Rose snapped. They stared at one another for several long moments before Mriske looked away, her gaze falling on the gleaming building in the distance. Rose followed her line of vision, her expression still stern.

Jack watched the two of them, his eyes slightly narrowed. 'Right,' he said brightly, clapping his hands together. 'Let's get this over with so we can all go home, shall we?'

\/\/


	25. Into the Storm

The facility was largely empty. They'd split up, the better to search the large building. Mickey and Donna had left at the head of a group of five villagers. Martha had elected to stay with Jack and Rose. Rose had felt the other woman's attention on her more than once. Mriske had also stayed, her eyes following Rose with something akin to worry. They'd found a few scientists, most of whom had been hiding together. Martha had stepped in before the villagers dealt with them.

'They destroyed our lives!' one of the villagers, Jharek, exclaimed.

'They should be heard by all. Justice must be seen to be done,' Mriske said, stepping forward. The villagers stared at her, then Jharek nodded, backing down. 'Escort them from the building,' Mriske ordered. As the remaining villagers filed out, she turned to the time travellers. 'I believe we have found them all.'

'Not all of them,' Jack said, ' that Motlok guy is still in here somewhere.'

'So's the Doctor,' Martha pointed out.

'Yeah,' Jack said, 'I'm betting we'll find them together.' He was looking at a screen on the wall, examining the blueprint he'd called up. 'There's a room, coupla floors up. Should be worth a look.'

'Why?' Martha asked.

'There's a lot of power being diverted there,' Jack said.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Mickey's voice coming from her pocket.

'Rose, come in.'

Rose pulled the communicator free and held it to her lips. 'Where are you?'

'Looks like a control room. Couple of floors up from where I left you,' Mickey said, sounding distracted. 'I think you'd better get up here,'

'Mickey, what-,' she began, sharing an exasperated look with Jack.

'I've found the Doctor,' Mickey interrupted. 'And he won't leave.'

'What do you mean he won't leave?'

'I mean he _won't leave_. Donna's trying to get him to listen but... Seriously Rose, you better get up here quickly.'

'I'm on my way.' She looked Jack and Martha. 'You two go, we'll meet you outside.' She turned, heading back in to the facility.

'No chance,' Martha said firmly, 'that's my husband up there.'

Rose turned to Jack. 'Jack-'

'Sorry, Rosie. No deal. We're all going.' Jack said flatly.

Rose stared from one to the other, then turned to Mriske. 'You should go, this wont' take long.'

'I think I should come with you,' Mriske said. 'Yes…' she continued slowly, 'that is where I should be.'

'Right,' Rose said, obviously trying not to roll her eyes. 'Let's go then.'

Following Mickey's directions, they headed through the building. Realising as they reached the second floor that they were heading for the room Jack had suggested they check out.

Jack walked ahead, keeping an eye out for any guards, and Mriske trailed along behind, seeming to sense that Rose was in no mood to talk to her. Martha and Rose walked side by side and Rose couldn't help but notice that Martha's eyes flicked to her face every few seconds.

'What?' she asked finally.

'What?' Martha replied, looking away quickly.

'You want to say something,' Rose said, not unkindly.

'Its just… you weren't that surprised that he was gone.' Rose shook her head. 'Did he say something to you?'

Rose snorted her amusement at that. 'Course not. Why would he say something to me? Stupid ape that I am.' She shook her head.

'Stupid ape?' Martha asked, looking amused.

Rose shook her head. 'Something he said to me a _long_ time ago.'

'But you knew, didn't you?' Martha persisted.

Rose shrugged. 'I just knew he was gone. Wasn't hard to work out where.'

'He's different,' Martha said.

'Yeah.'

'How different?'

'Not very,' Rose answered truthfully. 'He's just… I dunno… angry? Lost?' she shrugged. 'He's still the Doctor,' she said, shooting Martha a reassuring glance.

'When I first travelled with him, he was a bit like this. Always putting himself in danger.'

'That's just what he does…'

'Hmm,' Martha said, not sounding convinced.

\/\/

When they reached their destination they discovered Mickey and Donna, standing in what appeared to be an observation room. The Doctor was in the room beyond, clearly visible through the glass wall. He was sitting on a desk, staring at another door.

'What's going on?' Jack asked Mickey and Donna.

'That Motlok bloke went in there,' Donna replied. 'But we've checked the floor plans and there's no way out of that room, other than back the way he went in.'

'Why doesn't the Doctor just follow him in?' Jack asked, puzzled.

'He won't tell us.' Donna said, sounding miffed.

'Why are you out here?' Martha asked.

'Door's locked.' Mickey said.

Rose spoke, not taking her eyes from the Doctor's back. 'Is everyone on this level clear?'

'Yeah- s'just us now. I think he thinks-'

The door the Doctor was watching opened and Motlok reappeared. The Doctor raised his hand, aiming the scientists' own weapon at Motlok's head. 'Tell me what you saw,' he said, his voice level.

'You won't kill me.' Motlok sneered.

'Tell me now and I won't have to.'

Motlok stared at the Doctor for a long moment. 'You will lose her. You lose everyone in the end. It's all there in your own head. We saw you, Doctor. When you touched her on our ship. You won't be able to stop yourself making the decision that will lead to her death. Everything you need to prevent it is there, in your head. In the place you can't look.'

'Show me.'

'You know what this room is,' Motlok said, 'or you would have followed me through that door, rather than await my return.'

The Doctor nodded. 'Oh, _yes_. I know what this room is. What it's for. Show me.'

'_You_ will have to show _me_.'

'What are they talking about?' Rose asked.

'The room was built to house the Bad Wolf,' Mriske said. Rose turned to look at her as she continued. 'To get inside your head. To see what you have seen. What is, what was, what could be.'

'But the Doctor-' Martha began.

Mriske interrupted her. 'Is a Time Lord, and thus-'

'Slightly psychic,' Rose finished.

'More than slightly,' Mriske said, 'extremely. They all were. When I took his hand I saw so much…' she trailed off for a moment, then seemed to gather herself. 'I could feel it, too. The Time Lords were trained to restrain their psychic connection, lest they damage lesser beings.'

'What's he doing?' Mickey asked, staring through the glass.

The Doctor had put the weapon down on the desk behind him. 'You want to look into my mind? Really?' The Doctor stepped forwards, every line of his body managing to convey threat.

'Is she so important to you?' Motlok sneered. When the Doctor didn't respond, but merely kept walking until the leader was forced back against the door he'd just come through, then raised his hands to the scientist's head, Motlok began to look afraid. 'No! I did not mean…' he clawed ineffectually at the Doctor's arms but was unable to keep him away.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Motlok gasped, his eyes widening. The window in between rooms became translucent suddenly, resolving itself into images.

'Is that a witch?' Mickey asked, incredulous.

'A carrionite,' Martha said, her eyes on the screen.

'_Fascinating,' the carrionite said, 'There is no name.' She peered at the Doctor. 'Why would a man hide his title in such despair?' She appeared to realise something and gave the Doctor a taunting look. 'Oh, but look… there's still one word with the power that aches.'_

_The Doctor glared at her. 'The naming won't work on me.'_

_The carrionite merely smirked, apparently happy with what she'd found. 'But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant… __**Rose**_.'

The image on the screen shifted, became a street at night time.

_Rose was standing in front of the Doctor, staring up at him. 'You just leave us behind! Is that what you're going to do to me?'_

_His expression was serious, almost pained. 'No. Not to you.'_

The screen cleared and Motlok opened his eyes, looking up at the Doctor. 'Not to her… but the Wolf is _ours_, Doctor. You cannot take her from us. We do not have to obey the same laws you do.'

No images came this time, just the Doctor's voice, echoing through the rooms.

'_There are laws of time. Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died.' The Doctor sounded hysterical, insane, as the words spilled out of him far too quickly. 'Do you know who that leaves? __**Me!**__ It's taken me all these years to realise the laws of time are mine! __**And they will obey me!**__'_

'Wow,' Jack said quietly. 'Not his finest moment.' Donna glared at him.

Suddenly, Motlok screamed.

'What's happening?' Rose asked Mriske, her voice panicky.

'That room allows true empathy. As Motlok is more interested in what the Doctor thinks and feels than in showing him what he wants to see, the Time Lord is using his own pain to wound Motlok. To coerce him.'

'You seem to know an awful lot about that room,' Martha said.

'Motlok is my brother,' Mriske said simply. 'I helped design the room.'

'You what?' Mickey said, rounding on the alien woman. 'But you-'

'I left, shortly after I learned what he intended for you,' Mriske said, nodding to Rose. 'When I saw what he had done to our people. What we had done.'

Rose was ignoring her, keeping her eyes on the screen in front of them. The images were horrific. Wars. Deaths. So much fire and ice and blood.

'Right. I've seen enough,' Jack said. He turned to Mriske. 'Get this door open.'

She nodded and raised her hands to the panel beside the door, entering several codes. Nothing happened.

'Problem?' Jack asked.

'No,' she said, 'I must override the controls.' She did so and the light over the door turned green. 'I do not think you should go in there, Captain. It will cause you great pain.'

Jack shrugged. 'Can't be that bad. Your _brother_ seems to be holding up ok.' He opened the door and strode through it before Mriske could respond.

Suddenly he fell to his knees, clutching at his head. He managed to drag himself from the room and slammed the door closed again. He was breathing hard, his face deathly pale. 'What the hell-'

'Had you waited,' Mriske said impatiently, 'I would have told you. My brother survives because we have a very high threshold for pain. Humans do not. Also, the Doctor needs to keep him alive. All his attention is centred on that fact. He had no idea you had entered the room and so could not shield you. You were lucky you were not killed. If he keeps this up much longer, Motlok will die.'

'We can't let him kill him,' Donna said, interrupting the silence that followed Mriske's pronouncement.

'I wouldn't mind,' Jack said, having calmed his breathing somewhat.

'I'm with Captain cheesecake,' Mickey put in.

'No,' Rose said softly, not looking away from the room. 'That's not how he does things.'

'Right,' Donna said, relieved that someone was on the same page she was. 'He'll talk the hind legs off a donkey and maybe let someone hurt themselves, but he doesn't do this!' She waved a hand at the scene in front of them.

'Look what he did to you, Rose,' Mickey said. 'And to the Doctor.'

'This isn't about him, Mickey. It's about the Doctor. I can't let him do this.' Rose squared her shoulders, tearing her gaze away from the Doctor and resting her hand against the door to the room.

'You can't go in there,' Jack said. 'You saw what happened to me.'

'I have to.'

'If you go in there you will be killed,' Mriske said gently.

'Rose,' Donna said. 'You heard what he said - he thinks you're gonna die. That he's going to lose you.'

'Then maybe this is it,' Rose responded. She pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

\/\/


	26. Not Like Jack

Before she could close the door behind her, she felt Jack's hand close on the material of her jacket, pulling her backwards. 'Jack!'

'Can't let you do this, Rose,' Jack said, his voice hushed. 'You saw what happened to me.'

She half-turned to face him, her eyes blazing. 'Yeah? And what do you think it's doing to him?' She demanded. 'To the Doctor?'

'Rose-' Jack began, when it became apparent that no one else was about to speak.

'You weren't there,' Rose interrupted, taking a deep breath. 'You didn't see him when I first met him. He was so… hurt, Jack, so hurt and angry and alone and that is nothing - _nothing_ - compared to what I've seen in him since…' she looked imploringly at Donna. 'You've seen it!' Donna nodded and Rose continued. 'You've all seen it, right here in this room. I can't let him do that to himself, not 'cos of me.'

'And I can't let you walk in there… he'd never forgive me,' Jack said, managing to mask his misery with a firm tone of voice.

Rose stared at him and opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off by Motlok's voice coming from the room behind her.

'You must concentrate on her if you wish to find out how she dies!' he hissed, in obvious pain, but still fascinated by what he was seeing. 'You will lose her because you are not paying attention, because you are too busy!'

On the screen, the Doctor was staring at a faceless Rose. _'They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street. And as a result, that makes things... simple. Very, very simple. Do you know why?' he turned, pulling his glasses off and glaring at the men in the room with him. 'Because __**now**__, Detective Inspector Bishop, there is no power on this Earth that can stop me!'_

'Are you trying to threaten me, Time Lord?' Motlok hissed viciously, even as he grabbed at the wall behind himself for support. 'You must look deeper… see the place you are afraid to look at!'

'What the hell's that?' At the sound of Mickey's voice, they all looked back at the screen.

'It's the devil,' Rose said quietly.

'Oh come _on_-' Donna began.

'It is,' Jack said.

_The Doctor stood between what seemed to be two vases in the midst of a cavern, staring up at the apparition in towering over him, apparently partway through a speech. 'But I've seen a lot of this universe. I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demigods and would-be gods… Out of all that - out of that whole pantheon - if I believe in one thing... just one thing... I believe in __**her**__.' _

The scene shifted again. _Rose was hanging horizontally from a lever in a white room. Daleks and cybermen flew past her, obscuring what was presumably the Doctor's view of her. She was losing her grip._

'No!' the hoarse whisper came from the room behind the glass, and it came from the Doctor.

The scene shifted again. _The Doctor walked through a decimated building, his face utterly blank. He reached the TARDIS and walked inside, moving to the console and walking around it almost sedately. When he reached the monitor he ran his hands over the controls. Then he pulled his glasses from his inside pocket, examining the readout intently. _

_Rose Marion Tyler - b. 27/04/1987 d. 08/07/2007_

_The Doctor fell backwards into the jumpseat, reaching up and pulling his glasses off. After a moment there was a cracking sound. He looked down and opened his hand. His glasses were broken, the smashed lenses sticking in his palm._

The scene was replaced by a more recent one, Rose captured up on the ship, her eyes closed, lashes dark against skin that was too pale.

Rose whirled, staring at Mriske. 'Can he get control? Your brother,' she added, 'can he take control over what the Doctor sees?'

'I… I don't know!' the woman admitted.

Rose turned back to the door but hesitated before walking through. She turned back, looking over the four humans. 'If something happens… if neither of us come out of here…' she swallowed, raising her eyes to Jack's. 'Emergency Program One. It'll take you back to Earth.' Then she straightened, her eyes becoming determined, and strode through the door, leaving it open behind her. After taking a few steps into the room, she raised a hand to her head, her footsteps faltering for only a second before she continued to the Doctor's side.

'Doctor,' she said, speaking softly but still audible from the observation room. 'Doctor, it's Rose,' her voice broke a little, and from where she was standing Martha could see tears tracking down her face.

When the Doctor didn't respond, Rose continued. 'Doctor, you have to take my hand. It'll stop if you take my hand. But you have to do it. Don't make me, 'cos if I do it'll hurt...' When he still didn't move she swallowed hard. 'But I will. If I have to. You know I will.'

'He has gone too far,' Mriske murmured. 'She will only cause herself pain if she-'

'But she's got all that power…' Donna said, glancing at Jack for reassurance.

'Yeah,' Mickey agreed. 'All that Bad Wolf stuff.'

Jack merely shook his head.

Rose reached up and took the Doctor's wrist, using it to pry his hand free from Motlok's head. She gasped as she did so, her face contorting in pain for a second, as her knees buckled. The images on the screen changed again. Scraps of conversation fed through the speakers, flowing so quickly they were almost impossible to catch.

_The Doctor and Rose standing side by side on a strange world, staring out over the view. 'How long are you going to stay with me?' 'Forever.'_

'That's not the Bad Wolf,' Jack murmured, keeping his eyes on the screen. 'That's just Rose.'

_A London street, the Doctor and Rose walking side by side, so close their shoulders rubbed together. 'We'll always be all right, you and me. Don't you think, Doctor?' The Doctor looked worried. 'There's a storm approaching.'_

The images fadedbut the sound continued.

'_I believe in __**her**__.'_

'_I made my choice a long time ago and I'm never gonna leave you.'_

_'I could save the world but lose you.'_

_'I want you safe, my Doctor...'_

The screen showed them in a corridor in Mriske's house. _The Doctor was pressing Rose into a door, kissing her thoroughly, desperately. When they broke apart, he leaned his forehead on hers, breathing heavily. 'We could go…' he murmured. 'Just take the TARDIS and leave.'_

_She shook her head slightly, rubbing her forehead against his gently. 'I'm just too good,' she whispered, smiling weakly. 'And so are you.'_

'Doctor.' The sound of Rose's choked voice made the occupants of the observation room turn back to look through the clear part of the window. 'My head is killing me.' Her eyes closed, her face screwed up in pain. The screen flickered again, showing images at too fast a rate to discern what they were. Rose gasped. 'Doctor, please!'

Finally, he turned, dropping Motlok to the floor in the process. As his profile became visible, Donna gasped. For a split second the Doctor looked absolutely terrifying. His expression wasn't angry. It was distant. So very far from human, just for a split second.

'_Ka Faraq Gatri_,' Mriske murmured.

Then, without his face appearing to move in any way, he became the Doctor again. He stepped forwards and ran his fingers over Rose's cheeks, until his fingers were resting at her hairline, and pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely. The screen concealed in the window-wall fizzed and shorted out. Rose's own hands quickly found their way into his hair, pulling at it as she pressed herself to him.

They broke apart, Rose drawing a deep breath. Automatically their hands slid downwards, seeking each other out.

'You shouldn't have come in here,' the Doctor said softly.

'Then you shouldn't have broken rule number one,' Rose returned, her voice just as soft. She raised an eyebrow at him, 'No wandering off?'

'Rings a bell,' the Doctor admitted.

The building shook, alarms beginning to sound. The Doctor caught hold of Rose's arms, holding her steady.

'What have you done?' Motlok demanded.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. 'Oh, shorted out the system, I think. He looked around the room with mild interest. 'Yep. Definitely. I'd apologise, but since this room was built as a prison for Rose, I really don't feel like it. You understand.' He turned away and walked over to a blinking monitor, studying the screen with interest. He reached into his inside pocket for his sonic screwdriver, clicking it on and running it over the power source he found behind the monitor.

Jack entered the room, followed closely by Donna, Martha and Mickey. Mriske halted in the doorway, her eyes intent on her brother. Rose was also watching him as he tried to stay upright, leaning all his weight against a wall.

'You could be a goddess,' Motlok hissed at Rose. The Doctor turned, his eyes flickering between Motlok's face and Rose's back. 'Please… let me show you…'

'No thanks,' Rose said, 'there's nothin' you could show me that I'd wanna see.'

Behind her, the Doctor smirked slightly. Then he cleared his throat and spoke to Jack. 'Is everyone out?' he asked, steadying himself as the building rocked again.

'Everyone except us, and I'm guessing that rocking means we should get going.' Jack confirmed.

The Doctor nodded, and turned towards Rose, taking her hand again. She looked up at him. 'Time to go,' he said softly. 'Jack? You and Mickey bring him… I can't touch him.'

'I will not be carried like a child from my own facility!' Motlok protested.

Mriske stepped forwards, coming up to stand in front of her brother as Rose stepped back, her hand automatically seeking out the Doctor's.

'Your facility is about to crumble,' Mriske said flatly. 'As are you. In trying to weaken him, you have only weakened yourself. I know you, brother. You thought to have him at your mercy, to bring his mate to you.'

Rose looked down at her feet as the Doctor again found the monitor in front of him deeply interesting. Jack grinned at the pair of them as Donna let out an amused snort.

'You know why I did this…' Motlok said, his breath catching. 'The Bad Wolf…'

'Her name is Rose, Motlok,' Mriske snapped. 'Her name is Rose and you will never possess her. You would have to kill the Time Lord and that would only serve to bring about your own death all the more quickly.' She tilted her head to one side. 'I had no idea you were so stupid. He would have killed you! Be grateful for the mercy of the Wolf, for the Storm is unrelenting.'

She turned back to face the time travellers. 'We must leave now. If he will not come willingly, leave him,' she said matter-of-factly, striding past them back out into the observation room.

'But he's your brother!' Martha said, shocked.

'We don't have time for this,' the Doctor snapped as Mriske opened her mouth to reply. 'Jack? Mickey? Grab him.' He started for the door as Jack and Mickey walked towards the scientist.

'You cannot keep her!' Motlok shouted at the Doctor's back. 'She belongs to us! To me!'

The Doctor heard Jack's shout a fraction of a second after he heard the sound of something metallic scraping against a surface. He felt his mind begin to run fast… too fast. Babbling at him almost incoherently. He'd left the weapon on the table in front of the scientist, hadn't he? Not the best idea, that. Not even remotely good news. So this was it… Motlok would shoot Rose. And Rose wasn't like Jack.

He turned as the scientist fired the weapon, and it was all happening too fast to move, to change any of it. The energy bolt shot forwards aiming directly for Rose. At Rose, whose hand was burning in his.


	27. Give a Little Bit

The Doctor turned as Rose fell, catching her before she hit the floor. He picked her up, heading for a workbench. 'Donna!'

Seeing his intent, Donna startled herself out of her amazement that the Doctor's skinny frame was capable of carrying Rose as though she weighed nothing and leaned forward to clear the bench, sweeping everything onto the floor.

The Doctor lifted Rose onto the bench, his fingers flying to her neck. 'Faint pulse,' he murmured. 'Dr Jones! Time for you to put those qualifications to good use. Keep her heart beating.'

Martha stepped up to the bench and obeyed him without question, afraid of what it would mean if she didn't. '1...2...3...4...'

The Doctor, meanwhile, was standing back, shrugging out of his coat and throwing it to Donna, who caught it awkwardly, not taking her eyes off Rose and Martha. 'Jack?' He snapped.

'Yeah?' Jack glanced at the Doctor over his shoulder. He was currently holding Motlok against the wall with one hand while Mickey kept his weapon trained on the scientist.

'What I'm about to do is dangerous. Very dangerous. Might force me to regenerate-'

'_Might_?' Mickey repeated. 'Don't you_ know_?'

'Nope.'

'You can't do this. What if you get sick like last time? We need you.'

'And he needs her,' Donna said softly, her eyes now fixed on the Doctor's frantic face.

'Doctor!' Martha called, pausing almost imperceptibly.

'Don't stop!' He admonished. 'If it does,' he continued, fixing Jack with a stern gaze. 'If I start to regenerate, you have to get us both to the TARDIS. Both of us. Have you got that?'

A long look passed between the Doctor and Jack before Jack gave a quick nod. 'Yeah.'

'You have given your life for her once before, Time Lord...' Mriske said softly. 'Would you do it again?'

'Every time,' the Doctor murmured, distracted.

'Doctor,' Donna said, 'what are you-'

'I was regenerating,' he said. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes. 'When Rose came back, I was regenerating. And she stopped it… saved me… but I think I can find... There!' He bent his head and pressed his lips to Rose's, anchoring her to him with his hand tangled in her hair.

After a moment, Rose's upper body lifted off the bench, making the Doctor stumble slightly. Martha shifted in order to keep compressing Rose's chest as the Doctor leaned back a bit, moving so his fingers were at Rose's temples. 'You're not gonna leave me, are you, Rose Tyler?' he murmured softly. 'Not after all this.' He dropped his hands and looked up at Martha. 'Don't let her heart stop.'

Then he turned on his heel, facing Motlok again. 'Let him go, Jack.'

'What have you done?' the scientist hissed as Jack let him go and he dropped to the floor.

The Doctor's voice was low, his tone neutral. 'She saved my life, you know. Well... Stopped me regenerating... She crossed from one dimension to the other to find me and save me. 'Cos that's what Rose does. She doesn't think about it. She just takes my hand and saves my life. Over and over again. And now...'

Behind him, Rose gasped and sat bolt upright, nearly knocking Martha off her feet.

'...I'm returning the favour,' The Doctor finished. He looked exhausted, Jack noted, but was still managing a pretty impressive glare for Motlok. 'I just gave her a bit of my life.'

He stepped forwards, looming over the scientist and his tone switched abruptly, becoming harsher. 'You thought you could take her from me, but there's nowhere you could go with her that I wouldn't find you. No _when_.' He held out his arm, pushing his sleeve back so Motlok could see the mark there. 'Bad Wolf,' he said, his eyes boring into the scientist's. 'Everywhere I go. _Bad Wolf_.' He paused as Rose stepped up beside him and slid her hand into his own, lacing their fingers together.

'And d'you wanna know the best bit?' The Doctor asked. 'The best, most brilliant, fantastic bit... the _best_ bit is that it's not even me you should be worried about. Not me at all.'

Motlok opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the building shuddering.

'We should go,' Rose said softly.

'But you-' Motlok began, his voice faltering.

'Do not speak to her!' Mriske burst out.

Donna jumped: she'd forgotten Mriske was there.

'You cannot think to speak to her now,' Mriske went on, advancing on her brother. 'You thought you could teach her! Can you not see that you cannot help her become that which she palpably _is_?'

Rose looked up at the Doctor, a question in her glance. He shrugged, his lips quirking into a smile and she beamed back up at him, seemingly unperturbed. When he didn't move she tugged his hand, nodding towards the door. 'Shall we…?'

'Definitely,' he responded. 'Jack? Mickey?' he nodded towards Motlok.

As Jack and Mickey stepped forward to take hold of him, Mriske narrowed her eyes at them. 'Leave him here.'

'No,' the Doctor said flatly.

'He killed her, Doctor.'

'I've got a good memory, Mriske, thanks. Still… no.'

'You said justice should be seen to be done,' Rose said.

'Yeah,' Martha continued. 'All those people he hurt out there, everyone who suffered… they won't see it if we leave him here to die.'

Mriske bowed her head. Around them the building shuddered again, this time with enough force to knock instruments from the benches.

'Glad that's sorted,' the Doctor said, his voice cheerful. Donna was watching him carefully, however and saw that the knuckles of the hand clasping Rose's were white and his smile didn't reach his eyes.

As though reading Donna's mind, Rose looked up at the Doctor, her expression thoughtful. When he glanced at her, she grinned. '_Run_.'

\/\/

The meeting to instate Mriske as Motlok's successor was quick and perfunctory. Motlok and the other scientists had been locked away, to be dealt with in the light of day. Martha could tell the Doctor approved. The facility was destroyed, and someone they trusted was in charge of rebuilding this community. Seemed like a perfectly satisfactory ending.

She couldn't help but notice that the Doctor didn't drop Rose's hand the entire time, though. His fingers stayed twined in hers even when it must have been awkward. After the meeting broke up, Mriske sought the time travellers out.

'Thank you,' she said warmly, transferring her gaze from the Doctor to his companions as she added, 'all of you.'

'You still have a lot of work to do,' Jack pointed out.

'We know,' Mriske said, 'but at least we can now begin.' She looked back at the Doctor. 'Will you stay a while?'

He shook his head. 'We have to get going, I need to get this lot,' he nodded towards Martha, Mickey and Donna, 'home.'

Mriske nodded, as though she'd expected his response. She looked at Rose. 'How are you feeling?'

'Fine,' Rose said, smiling warmly. 'Bit tired, but all right.'

'You really are quite remarkable,' Mriske said. 'To have done so much, to have survived… the nerve it must have taken to enter that room…'

'Knew the Doctor wouldn't let me die,' Rose said, smiling up at the man in question.

Mriske didn't respond, merely looked at the Doctor, who shifted uncomfortably. 'Some would say that you have a particularly potent weapon at your side, Doctor,' she observed. He narrowed his eyes at her. 'Although I am sure no one here will say it,' she added, smiling slightly.

He nodded, his eyes still wary. Abruptly his expression cleared. 'Right, well… lovely to meet you and everything, but we really must be off. Back to the TARDIS… Earth, twenty-first century and all that. Martha, Mickey, lead on.'

As everyone said their goodbyes and filed out of the house into the back garden, the Doctor fixed Mriske with a look. 'I'm sure I don't have to tell you-'

'You are correct,' Mriske interrupted gently. 'You do not have to tell me. Or warn me.'

He nodded, apparently appeased, and then grinned at her. 'Good luck!' Then he turned, pulling Rose around with him.

Rose let go of his hand, leaving the Doctor looking slightly bereft as she turned back to Mriske and threw her arms around the woman, hugging her. 'Thank you,' she said, 'for everything.'

Mriske nodded, returning the hug briefly before stepping back. Rose turned back to the Doctor and took his hand again, leading the way towards the TARDIS.

Once inside, she let go of his hand again, moving so she could sit in the jumpseat next to Donna. The Doctor and Jack moved around the console, starting the dematerialisation sequence, Jack hindering more than he was helping, making Mickey snort with amusement.

'So,' the Doctor said, once they were in the Vortex, 'Martha, Mickey… when and where?'

'Can we just… rest for a bit?' Martha asked, 'I'm knackered and we were in the middle of the day when we were picked up.'

'Of course! Sorry,' the Doctor said, mildly abashed. 'We'll just – we'll stay drifting for a few hours. Get some sleep.' He looked around the console room. 'That all right with everyone? Donna, I'm looking at you.'

Donna looked up from where she'd been contemplating Rose's sleeping form next to her. The blonde's head had fallen onto Donna's shoulder and her hair had drifted over her face. 'Fine by me, could do with some sleep. Can you…?' she nodded towards Rose.

The Doctor stepped forwards and gathered Rose in his arms once again. 'You still have rooms,' he said softly to Martha and Donna, 'I suppose you two-' he nodded towards Mickey and Martha, 'will be sharing. Come and find me when you've had some kip.'

The three of them nodded and left the console room. The Doctor stood holding Rose for a few moments, then looked up to see Jack watching him. 'What?'

'You can't have given her a bit of your life,' Jack said quietly. 'Doesn't work that way.'

'No,' the Doctor admitted, his gaze falling to Rose's face. 'It doesn't.'

'Then what?"

The Doctor sighed and sat down in the jumpseat, cradling Rose against himself. 'The first time we ended up in the parallel world, the TARDIS died,' he said, resolutely keeping his eyes on Rose. 'All except one tiny power cell. I used my energy to charge it up. Ten years' worth of my life.' He looked up at Jack. 'The energy inside Rose, the Bad Wolf, is the same as the TARDIS. I'd never have thought of it but for something Mickey said.'

'What was that?' Jack asked, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the console.

'He said when Rose was living in the parallel world she felt… disconnected. Like the world was wrong. I think the bit of TARDIS energy in her was struggling to stay alive but, cut off from it's proper universe, it was having trouble. When he shot her, it was all I could think of. To use a burst of regeneration energy to jump start her system.'

'Like a defibrillator?'

'Yes.'

'And now she'll be ok, right?' Jack checked.

'I'm not sure…' the Doctor said. 'I called up the TARDIS energy inside her when I… jumpstarted her. Woke it up. I'm not sure what it'll do to her. If it'll do anything. I just wish I knew, Jack.'

'You look exhausted,' Jack observed dryly.

'It nearly killed me,' the Doctor admitted.

'Go get some rest, I'll stay up here in case anyone gets up and I'll call you on the comm. if we need you.'

'I-'

'_Go_, Doctor. Rose needs to sleep in a proper bed and if you stay here you're gonna want to keep her with you, god knows you haven't let go of her for hours.'

The Doctor ducked his head, avoiding Jack's gaze. Then he stood and carried her from the room.

\/\/


	28. Mortal Danger

_Author's Note: Right... this is - I **think** - the penultimate chapter. So, just wanted to say thank you to absolutely everyone who has stuck with this story for the last couple of months - you're all brilliant. Also, (and once again) thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited or set an alert for this fic... the email alerts get me through the day :-D_

* * *

Rose awoke slowly, fighting her way back to consciousness through dreams filled with heavy golden fog. She savoured the moments before opening her eyes, listening to the unmistakable ebb and flow of the TARDIS surrounding her, telling her she was home. She was on a bed, definitely on a bed. Which was odd, as the last thing she remembered was the console room.

She opened her eyes, expecting to be greeted by the familiar sight of her room and was surprised when she wasn't. This room wasn't hers. This room, she realised as she looked around, was quite clearly the Doctor's. Books were stacked haphazardly on the floor, even though there was a pretty impressive bookshelf against the wall. Scattered amongst the books were various TARDIS-y looking parts as well as some things she knew she'd never be able to work out.

The Doctor's suit jacket was slung over the arm of an armchair across from her, which meant that the weight on the bed behind her must be the Doctor. She rolled over onto her other side so she could face him. He was sitting up against the headboard, his tie loosened, reading a massive book.

He looked at her over the top of his glasses. 'Morning,' he said softly.

'Is it?' She asked, her voice just as quiet.

He closed the book and put it on the bedside table before removing his glasses. 'No, actually. You've only been asleep for about an hour and a half and we're drifting in the vortex so… no. Not morning. Not by anyone's definition.' he reached over and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. 'You should sleep more.'

'Where's everyone else?'

'Asleep,' he responded. 'Well… not Jack. He's probably damaging the TARDIS irreparably as we speak.'

'Surprised you left him to his own devices,' Rose said, smiling teasingly.

'You fell asleep in the console room,' he offered, as though that were all the explanation necessary. 'How do you feel?'

She rolled her eyes at him. 'I told you, I'm fine.' She considered him for a moment, narrowing her eyes. 'Just surprised you're still here, that's all.'

He looked at her enquiringly, a puzzled expression on his face.

She swallowed. She was definitely going to have to follow up on that statement, then. 'You tricked me,' she murmured.

She watched realisation dawn on his face. 'Ah. No.'

'Yeah, you did,' she insisted, dropping her eyes so she was looking over his body at the wall beyond. 'You only went to bed with me to distract me, so you could go off on your own. You knew I'd try to stop you.'

'No,' he said again, more firmly this time.

'Doctor,' she said, exasperated, 'there's no point lyin' about it. Its ok.'

'I'm not lying.' He sighed and shifted, sliding down the bed and rolling until he was lying on his side, facing her. His dark eyes regarded her seriously for a moment. 'Most species,' he began, 'when they're faced with mortal danger, feel the urge towards sexual activity,' his eyes glittered as he watched her blush and look away. 'Why should I be any different?'

She looked back at him then, her expression incredulous. 'Because you'd be shagging your way around the universe?'

It was his turn to glance away then. Unfortunately that meant he was looking down at Rose's chest, in what could be considered an inappropriate manner. Well… rude, anyway. Untimely. He raised his eyes to hers again. 'Ah. Yes. Right. Fair point. Ok… let me rephrase. When I'm with _you_, why should I be any different?'

Her eyes widened at that, he was pleased to note. Taking advantage of her momentary silence, he moved closer to her, one hand coming up to rest lightly on her hip and pull her against him gently.

'I think-' Rose began.

He pressed himself into her more firmly, holding her in place against him, and murmured, 'What? What do you think, Rose?"

She swallowed. 'I think-' she tried again.

He made an inquisitive noise in his throat as he dropped his head and began pressing kisses to her neck. 'Hmm?'

'I think I've opened the floodgates!' she managed finally. She brought a hand up and gently pushed at his chest. She giggled. 'Get off me, you! I came back from the dead today!'

He moved back abruptly, his expression suddenly serious.

Rose sobered. 'What?'

'Nothing,' he said, directing his gaze over her shoulder.

'Doctor-' she began, but was overtaken by his whispered admission.

'I almost lost you today.'

She stared at him, speechless for a moment. 'But you didn't,' she said finally, catching his gaze. 'You saved me, yeah?'

He didn't respond for a moment, merely reached for her and pulled her against his body again, holding her this time in a hug more reminiscent of those they usually shared. 'How do you know what happened?' He asked.

'I dreamt about it... When I was... She trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. 'I was in the dark, and there was a little speck of light, like a star or somethin'. But then I heard you talking, and I could hear...' she trailed off again, her eyes distant.

'What?' he prompted.

'I could hear your hearts,' she said softly. 'Behind me. So I followed the sound.'

He looked down at the top of her head, trying to imagine what she'd seen, what she'd _felt_.

'You think I'm mad, don't you?' she asked, looking up at him. He realised he'd been uncharacteristically silent for far too long.

'Compared to what exactly?' he asked, raising his eyebrows. 'Me? Nah. You're perfectly sane, you, Rose Tyler. Relatively speaking.'

She smiled at that, hitting him on the arm lightly. Then lay back, resting her head on his chest, her hand drawing lazy circles on his shirt. 'You know…' she said pensively after a while. 'I'm not feeling _that_ fragile… considering the day I've had.'

He smirked, safe in the knowledge that she couldn't see him. 'Oh?' he said, affecting nonchalance. 'Really?'

'Mmm,' she agreed, nodding.

The movement made her hair tickle his nose, giving him the perfect excuse to roll them over, so that she was on her back and he was holding himself above her. 'Want to get up, then?' he asked.

'Nope.'

She reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair, scraping her nails lightly against his scalp. He closed his eyes, sucking in a breath. When he opened them again she was watching him, her eyes wide and dark. He leaned forwards, resting his body on hers gently, and kissed her, letting his hand slide up her side.

'Hang on,' she said, gasping slightly as his mouth moved to her neck and his hand slid up under her shirt. 'We were in plenty of _mortal danger_ before I got stranded in the other world...'

'Your point?' He murmured against her neck, shifting slightly so she could untuck his shirt.

'My_ point-' _she said, pulling his shirt free and undoing the buttons, 'is that there was never any of this.'

He looked up at her, maintaining a thoughtful expression while his hands fluttered down her body, finding the button of her jeans. _'Well_... I'm a Time Lord. Very cerebral, as a rule, your Time Lords.'

'You mean you_ thought_ about it.' Rose said dryly.

He grinned wickedly at her. 'Oh _yes_. A lot. Especially after Satellite Five.' He looked down, concentrating on what he was doing.

'Why?' She asked.

'Hmmm?' He responded, clearly not paying attention.

'_Why_, Doctor?'

'Oh. I was very restrained before,' he said, still concentrating on sliding her jeans down her legs. 'Very brooding and controlled. With the leather and the jumpers and the ears! Remember the ears, Rose?' He grinned up at her and she nodded, he looked back to his work. 'But I kissed you. To take the TARDIS stuff out. And I knew it would kill me. The TARDIS stuff, that is, not kissing you. So I kissed you. Helluva thing to do just before regenerating. Made it that much harder to keep pretending afterwards.'

He took a deep breath, sitting back from her and meeting her gaze. 'And then you kissed me-'

'That was Cassandra!'

He ignored her and waved a hand dismissively. 'And then you were gone.'

'Hang on a minute-' Rose said, 'in between _Cassandra_ kissing you and me being gone _you_ snogged Madame de Pompadour...' she trailed off, unable to meet his gaze.

'It was easier...' He murmured. 'After what I almost said outside that cafe, when we met Sarah Jane… it was easier to run away than face up to it and risk how much it would hurt when I lost you. To try to push you away.'

'You left me behind,' she said, her voice small.

'I came back,' he reminded her gently.

'You did it again,' she said, 'went off to see Motlok without me.'

'I was always coming back,' he said softly. 'Like you, always coming back for me. Wouldn't be here if you didn't.' When she didn't look up her reached over and took her hand. 'Article of faith, that. You'll always come back for me, and I won't leave you behind. Look.'

Rose's eyes closed as the images swarmed into her mind.

_The Doctor was wearing an orange spacesuit, standing in what looked like a massive cave. _

'Cavern,' the Doctor on the bed in front of her murmured in response to her thought. Rose ignored him.

_Ida Scott stood in front of him. 'We're running out of air with no way back,' she said. 'It's the only thing we __**can**__ do. Even if it's the last thing we ever achieve.'_

'_I'll get back,' the Doctor said, his soft tone serving to underline the certainty in his voice. 'Rose is up there.'_

The image changed, the Doctor was suspended on a rope down a deep hole in the ground, still sporting the orange spacesuit. Rose tensed, her fingers closing on his automatically. She felt the Doctor's thumb stroke the back of her hand. In her mind, he started speaking. _'I believe... I believe I haven't seen everything. I don't know... it's funny, isn't it?' he asked. 'The things you make up - the rules. If that thing had said it came from __**beyond**__ the universe, I'd believe it, but __**before**__ the universe... impossible. Doesn't fit my rule. Still, that's why I keep travelling. To be proved wrong.' He paused for a second, then said, 'Thank you, Ida.'_

_Ida's slightly panicked voice came through the radio. 'Don't go!'_

'_If they get back in touch... if you talk to Rose...' the Doctor began, sounding as though he had to say something important, but unsure how. 'Just tell her...' he paused, searching for words. 'Tell her I...' he trailed off, and then continued, his voice quieter, as though speaking only to himself. 'Oh, she knows.' _

Rose opened her eyes as the Doctor retracted his hand, skimming it lightly over her leg and coming to rest on her shin. She stared at him for a moment.

'What you just did,' she said, 'I didn't notice before but it's not happening all the time now, not like it was when I came back. What-'

'I'm controlling it,' the Doctor said, watching her closely. 'I didn't realise what was happening at first. When you stopped me regenerating you were in my head, you saw everything I'd done. Everything at the top of my mind, anyway. While it all settled down into your subconscious you kept getting flashes of it, and then, whenever I touched you…'

She nodded, still looking thoughtful. 'What were you gonna say?' she asked, her eyes glued to his hand on her leg. 'To Ida? What were you gonna ask her to tell me?'

He tilted his head to one side. 'Does it need saying?'

She looked up at him then, biting her lip while she studied his face for what seemed like an eternity. Then she smiled, slowly. 'Quite right too,' she said, turning the smile into a full-blown grin.

He nodded, satisfied. Then grinned as she reached for him, pulling him down by his open shirt and rolling him until he was lying underneath her. 'There's none of your 'mortal danger' here, Doctor,' she said softly, almost purring.

He looked thoughtful, then said, 'Well… Jack _could_ blow us up at any minute.'

She smiled, her eyes dark and predatory, and leaned in until her lips were brushing against his. '_Brilliant_.'


	29. The Doctor Dances

_Author's Note: This is it - the last chapter of Burning Up a Sun... Well... there's an epilogue too, but **this**... this is the last proper chapter._

* * *

They were lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling of the Doctor's room; Rose catching her breath and the Doctor sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye.

'Your room's nicer than mine,' Rose observed, with the air of one who'd given it a lot of thought. 'More TARDIS-y.'

'TARDIS-y?' the Doctor repeated, amused.

''s a word,' Rose defended. 'You've got all the coral everywhere. Mine just looks like my old room.'

He looked around, admiring the coral in the warm glow of the console room light the TARDIS provided in this room. 'We could swap,' he offered. 'Or... share,' he added, realising what he was saying as the words left his mouth. 'Y'know, if you like.'

'S'pose,' Rose said. 'Its not like you sleep much.' She rolled onto her side, facing away from him and snuggling back against him. 'Why _do_ you have a room, anyway? Didn't think you would use one.'

The Doctor turned so he was lying on his side behind her and draped an arm over her waist. 'Needed the space, I suppose.'

'Yeah,' Rose said, sarcastically. 'Cos you don't have _enough_ space in your bigger-on-the-inside ship.'

'I meant to myself,' he responded, brushing a hand up and down her arm.

'I've never seen you use it,' she said, feeling goosebumps break out on her arm.

'I got it after Canary Wharf,' he said softly.

'Oh,' she said. They lay in silence for a few moments, then Rose said, 'Doctor? in a thoughtful tone.

'Mmm?'

'These marks… on my neck and on your wrist…'

'Yes?'

'What are they?'

He was silent for several minutes and Rose thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said, 'They're like a link. Between you and me. I told you, you were in my head, when you saved me.' She nodded. 'Doing that… doing that forged a link between us. Something that was always there, always existed in potentia, became real.'

'I don't understand,' she said.

'Nor do I, really,' he said, sensing her rolling her eyes. 'I'm just going on the evidence.'

'What evidence?'

'This,' he said, ducking his head and pressing his lips to the mark on the back of her neck.

Rose was suddenly awash with feeling. In her head she could hear words, thousands and thousands of words, all tripping over themselves. She only recognised about half, the rest were spoken in a strange, lilting language she couldn't understand. Through the words she could hear the four-beat rhythm of the Doctor's hearts, the sound twining around the thrumming of her own single heart.

She moved back against him and felt the set of his mind change, his mouth pressing more urgently against her neck. When he moved back, the words and the feelings stopped. Rose gasped, feeling bereft.

'The marks concentrate the link,' the Doctor said quietly. 'Makes it more… linky.'

'Linky?'

''s a word,' he defended.

'Why did it happen?'

'You did it. Well… the part of you that's the Bad Wolf did it.'

'Why?'

He leaned forwards, his lips brushing her ear. 'Because you love me.'

'Shut up.'

'You do…' he whispered. '_And _you fancy me.'

'Shut _up_.'

'And,' he added, pulling back from her and raising his voice. 'And, you pulled me behind you when Motlok shot at you.'

She tensed, sensing his disapproval.

He sighed. 'You can't do things like that, Rose. You can't stand between me and the bad guys. You really can't.'

She reached for his hand, pulling it up from it's position at her waist and pressing her mouth against the mark, seeing it glow as her lips connected with his skin.

_The lab spun as the Doctor pulled her around by her hand. Almost in slow motion, she saw Motlok, saw the weapon he was aiming at them. Torchwood training kicked in. At that angle, he'd hit them both. And that weapon could stop both the Doctor's hearts at once. _

'_He cannot survive that.' The words – the __**certainty**__ – arrived in her head without her having to think, a gift from somewhere else. She tugged on the Doctor's hand, reflexively pulling him by the arm until he was standing slightly behind her, shielded by her. _

_The perspective shifted slightly, Rose could see herself, caught up in the Doctor's arms, carried to a bench. And she could feel another Doctor, standing just behind her. 'I'd stand between you and the universe,' she murmured. 'My Doctor.'_

She released his hand and turned, rolling to face him. They lay like that, staring at one another in thoughtful silence.

\/\/

The others were already in the console room when Rose and the Doctor wandered in, hand in hand, Rose laughing at something the Doctor was explaining.

'It _was_!' He said. 'You should have seen it, it was… well… _they_ were purple. And spiky! Oh, hello.' This last was addressed to the four people in the console room, who were all giving them looks that sat firmly within the 'aren't you adorable' spectrum. He cleared his throat. 'Sleep well?'

He ignored the knowing look Jack was giving him and wandered over to the console, dropping Rose's hand so he could flip switches and turn dials.

'Yes, thanks,' Martha said.

'What about you?' Donna asked, a too-innocent expression on her face. Jack snorted his amusement, while Mickey and Martha each looked like they were trying not to laugh.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at them. 'Right… better get you lot back, before you all spontaneously combust from all the smirking.' He threw the handbrake and they stumbled into one another, clearly not ready for the sudden movement.

\/\/

As the doors closed behind Martha and Mickey, the Doctor turned to see Rose and Donna in deep conversation.

'Worrying, isn't it?' Jack asked, careful to keep his voice low.

'A bit,' the Doctor sniffed. 'More than a bit. We should probably intervene… or something.'

Rose looked up as the Doctor and Jack approached. 'We've been talking.'

'Oh yes?' the Doctor asked, trying for nonchalance as he turned to the console.

'Yes,' Donna said. 'And don't act like you didn't notice. Don't worry, I'm not corrupting Rose.' She nudged the other woman and nodded at the back of the Doctor's head, indicating that Rose should watch this. 'I'll leave that to you, time boy.'

The Doctor's shoulders tensed. Behind him, Donna brought a hand up to the back of her neck, seconds before he did it. Rose giggled and Donna winked.

The Doctor turned, sending Donna a mock-glare. 'And what was the result of your little _tête à tête_?'

'We reckon you should go with Donna to see her husband,' Rose said. 'She's got a lot to explain to him and it might be easier if you were there, you know…'

'…a real live alien.' Donna finished.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at both of them. Suddenly his face broke out into a grin. 'Excellent idea, brilliant even. And then we'll take you off for a trip, Donna Temple-Noble. Nice wedding present for you both. Somewhere nice. What d'you reckon?'

\/\/

'So, let me get this straight,' Shawn said, two hours later. 'You're an alien.' He pointed to the Doctor, who nodded. 'And you,' he pointed to his wife, 'used to travel with him in his spaceship.'

'Basically, yeah.' Donna said.

'Just the two of you?' Shawn asked.

'Not like that!' they both said at the same time.

Shawn raised his eyebrows.

'Donna's like… like a sister to me really,' the Doctor said. 'A much younger, gingerer, ruder sister.'

'You look about the same age,' Shawn pointed out, focussing on the small details.

'Yeah… I'm nine hundred. Over nine hundred, actually.' the Doctor said, wincing slightly as though he expected this to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

'Plus,' Donna interjected. 'You should see him when he's with Rose. No one else exists…'

'Rose?'

The Doctor said, 'My friend' at the same moment as Donna said, 'His wife.' The Doctor stared at her, dumbfounded and she raised an eyebrow at him, silently daring him to disagree. He looked away.

'Ok,' Shawn said.

They both looked at him. 'Ok what?' Donna asked.

'Ok… I believe you,' Shawn clarified. 'I think you're both mad…' he smiled at Donna fondly. 'But I believe you. So where's this ship, then?'

\/\/

'You travelled through time and space in that?' Shawn asked, regarding the TARDIS with a sceptical eye.

'Yeah, why?' Donna said defensively, at precisely the same moment as the Doctor burst out indignantly, 'What's wrong with it?'

Shawn shrugged. 'Bit cosy isn't it?'

'Oh, you just _wait_.' Donna held out her hand and the doctor placed his key in it.

She stepped forwards and opened the door, dragging her husband through behind her. The Doctor followed, only to bump into Donna, who had stopped just inside, staring into the console room.

Shawn was staring around madly, a very familiar expression on his face. 'It's... it's... It's bigger on the inside!'

'Is it?' Jack asked. The Doctor stared at him.

'We hadn't noticed,' Rose added.

Seemingly oblivious to their presence, Donna's husband rushed back out again, making the obligatory circuit around the TARDIS before re-entering. The Doctor and Donna stood where they were, frozen to the spot, watching Jack and Rose whirl around the console. Music was filling the room.

_But of all the strange, strange creatures in the air, at sea, on land_

_Oh my girl my girl my precious girl,_

_I love you, you understand_

The Doctor vaguely recognised the song from Donna's first wedding reception, but wisely decided to say nothing of it with his friend's husband so close. He'd thought of Rose then, he remembered, listening to this song and watching the guests dance. He closed the door and stepped around Donna and Shawn, heading for the console, deftly avoiding Rose and Jack as they twirled by.

_Now all I have's this anguished heart, for you have vanished too..._

The Doctor started the dematerialisation sequence, knocking Shawn back against the doors. The others, he was pleased to notice, managed to maintain their balance. In fact, Rose and Jack didn't seem at all fazed by the movement of the ship. He stepped away from the console and shrugged out of his coat, throwing it to Jack as the captain stepped back from Rose for a moment. Then he grabbed rose around the waist and pulled her close.

'You'll find your feet at the end of your legs,' he murmured into her ear. 'You may care to move them.'

_So reel me in my precious girl, come on take me home…_

Rose grinned up at him as he raised his arm to twirl her around, dimly aware of the others staring. 'You're better at this, this time around,' Rose observed.

'D'you think?' the Doctor asked, dipping her, then pulling her back up and spinning her around. Behind him, Jack was coaxing Donna and Shawn into a strange three-way waltz that could have only been invented by the fifty-first century immortal.

'Oi, spaceman!' Donna called as the song ended and Rose and the Doctor stood grinning at one another. 'Hate to break this up, but you promised me and Shawn a trip, remember?"

'Yes!' The Doctor exclaimed. 'Right.' He ran back to the console, dragging Rose by the hand.

'So where are we going?' Shawn asked. 'Mars?'

The Doctor gave him a strange look, and then turned to Donna, raising an eyebrow. 'Made for each other, you two are.' Donna smirked. 'No, Shawn Temple-Noble, we are not going to Mars. Been there. Recently, in fact. Don't much fancy going back… So…' he grinned at Rose, 'Barcelona!'


	30. Epilogue: Burning Up a Sun

'Rose... Rose!'

The hushed, not-quite-whisper dragged Rose from her sleep. 'If you're waking me up 'cos you're bored,' she mumbled into her pillow, 'you're gonna get _such_ a slap.'

She heard him laugh as the bed dipped behind her, signalling that he'd climbed onto it. When she felt his body pressing against her back she snuggled into him, wriggling against him. She smirked as she heard the Doctor suppress a moan.

'I've got something to show you.' He said, his voice husky.

'I'll _bet_ you have,' she shot back. 'It'll still be there in the morning though, yeah?'

He cleared his throat. 'Um no, actually. It's only now that everything's aligned just right and the TARDIS has just enough power to-'

'What are you talking about?' she interrupted.

He leaned forwards slightly and pressed his lips to the mark on her neck. Suddenly she felt anxious. Excited and anxious. She rolled over to face him. 'What's wrong?'

'Come on,' he said, rising from the bed and pulling on her hand.

'Doctor-' she began, warningly.

'Trust me?' he pleaded.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him but stood, pulling her jeans on and following him out of the room.

Once they reached the console room the Doctor bounded over to the monitor, swinging it towards her so she could see. She gasped; outside the ship was alive with fire. 'Is that… What is that?'

'A supernova. We're in orbit.' He leaned against the jumpseat, affecting an air of nonchalance, but watching her intently. 'I thought you might want to say goodbye to Jackie...'

She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears. 'But you said there were no more windows. That it wasn't possible.'

'You came through.'

'Yeah, but… I can't control it. What if I end up stuck there again?'

'You're not going anywhere,' the Doctor said, his voice low. 'I just need you to put your hand-' he reached out and took her hand, laying it against a flat pad on the console she hadn't noticed before, 'here. And concentrate.'

Rose retracted her hand, still staring at the Doctor. Then she stepped forwards and flung her arms around him, burying her face in his shirt. 'Thank you.'

'No problem,' he said softly, stroking soothing circles on her back.

She stepped back slightly so she could look up at him. 'But... How will I… will I be a hologram?'

'Yes,' he said, watching her carefully.

She nodded. 'How will I get to her? I can't do that telepathy thing and if she starts hearing your voice in her head she'll just think she's lost it.'

'Thought you could use this.' He reached into his pocket and pulled out the mobile phone he'd been playing with when she woke up in her room - was it only days ago?

She stared at it. 'Superphone?' she asked.

He smiled. 'Super_duper_phone. Superduper_interdimensional_phone. Well... When powered by a supernova and a TARDIS, anyway. Regardless, it'll work. Just tell her where to meet us.'

'How will I know?'

'I'll tell you. In... five minutes. Should be somewhere relatively close to where we arrived the first time.'

'Bad Wolf Bay?' Rose asked, trying to keep a tremor out of her voice.

He shook his head. 'Before that. With Mr. Mickey.'

'Right. Ok.' She sucked in a deep breath. 'Do I look all right?'

He looked up from the monitor and ran his eyes over her. 'Perfect.' She blushed and looked down at her feet.

\/\/

The phone call had gone quite well, Rose thought. Her mother had calmed down quite quickly and had agreed to meet her on the South Bank. Rose would rather have skipped ahead to the meeting, than wait the fifteen minutes it took Jackie to arrive – something to do with the link requiring that they stay in the right timeline, the Doctor said.

'Ready?' the Time Lord asked, startling Rose out of her reverie.

He looked worried, she thought. Probably because she'd spent the last fifteen minutes staring vacantly at the Time Rotor. She smiled, hoping to reassure him. 'Yeah.'

He took her hand, placing it on the console. Then he stepped back and aimed the sonic screwdriver at the console.

Suddenly, Rose was outside, standing just feet away from her mother. She stared at her the older woman. Jackie had obviously been crying, her eyes were red and her mascara was streaked. Seeing the direction of her gaze, Jackie reached up and wiped her face.

'Hi mum,' Rose said. Jackie took a deep breath. 'How long have I been gone?' Rose asked

'Two hours!' Jackie said, scandalised.

'Only two hours?' Rose asked.

'Oh… _only two hours_, she says.' Jackie mocked.

Ignoring her, Rose turned and looked at the Doctor, who was apparently deeply engrossed in something on the screen. This man... This Time Lord who got confused between twelve hours and twelve months, between 1979 and 1879 - _same difference_ - this man had gotten her a window with her mother less than half a day since she'd disappeared. 'I love you,' she said, not intending to speak out loud.

He looked up, startled.

'Suppose that answers that question then,' Jackie said.

Rose turned back to her. 'Yeah. Mum, I'm so s-'

'Don't you tell me you're sorry, Rose Tyler, don't you dare! You always find your way back to him. And I suppose, if it was your dad...' She trailed off.

'I love you, mum.'

'I should bloody hope so!' Jackie said, smiling. Rose grinned back. Jackie's smiled faded gradually. 'Can't believe I'm never gonna see you again. My daughter. My baby.' Rose choked back a sob, overwhelmed by a sudden rush of sadness. Jackie looked worried, twisted her fingers together as though she was thinking of reaching out to Rose and realised she couldn't touch her. 'Now sweetheart, don't cry. You'll set me off.'

The Doctor stepped forwards quickly, resting a hand lightly on Rose's shoulder. She stepped back slightly, resting against him, but keeping her eyes on her mother.

'Hello you,' Jackie greeted, giving the Doctor a stern look.

'Jackie,' he responded, smiling warily.

'No need to look like that, Doctor,' Jackie said, 'its not like I can reach you.' She smiled and he grinned at her. 'All right are you? Rose thought you were dying.'

He nodded. 'I was. Rose saved me. Your daughter, Jackie Tyler, is brilliant.'

Jackie looked indignant. 'I could have told you that!'

'How long have we got?' Rose asked, looking up at the Doctor.

'Not long,' he said. 'I'm not sure how much longer we can keep the link open. Couple of minutes at best I'm afraid.'

Rose nodded, as though this was what she'd expected. She looked back at her mother, 'Mum-'

'Look at you two,' Jackie interrupted, her voice too cheerful. 'The Doctor and Rose Tyler. You look… right.' She paused. 'If we've only got a couple of minutes, I'll get your brother. He's in the car.' She turned and shouted towards the limousine parked behind her. 'Didn't tell him why we were coming here, in case it didn't work.'

The door opened and Pete Tyler emerged, followed by Tony. The boy saw Rose and ran forward. 'Rose!'

He reached out for her, but Rose shook her head. 'You can't touch me, Tony. I'm a hologram.'

Tony nodded, serious brown eyes regarding his older sister thoughtfully. Then he switched his gaze to the stranger beside Rose. 'You're the Doctor,' he said, absolute conviction in his voice.

'You're Tony Tyler,' the Doctor returned.

The boy smiled, pleased to be recognised.

Pete was watching his not-quite-daughter carefully, his arm around Jackie. 'You're not coming back, are you, Rose?' She shook her head, tears streaking down her face again. Pete nodded slowly and looked up at the Doctor. 'I don't have to tell you to look after her,' he said, 'I know you will. But I will say this, Doctor. _Let her look after you_.'

'No regenerating,' Tony said, making the Doctor smile.

Rose heard beeping, coming from the console and looked up at the Doctor warily. 'Is that-'

'I'll see what I can do,' he promised, pressing a kiss to her hair. 'Pete – good to see you. Tony, brilliant to meet you. Jackie… its been an experience.' He winked at Rose's mother and disappeared from view.

'I love you,' Rose said, her voice strained. 'All of you. I just had to-'

'We know, sweetheart,' Jackie said gently. 'We love you too. Just promise me,' her voice broke, 'promise me you'll be happy. That he'll make you happy.'

'He always has,' Rose said.

'Darlin', what I said, before all that stuff with the robots at Canary Wharf…'

'Mum – its ok…'

'Shut up and listen to me. It doesn't matter. I was wrong.' Rose stared at her, feeling relief run through her. 'Whatever you do, wherever you go, you will always be exactly who you always were. My daughter. Rose Tyler.'

Suddenly, Rose was back in the console room. She stared around herself for a moment, disoriented. Then she began to sob, her whole body shaking. The Doctor appeared in front of her, pulling her body against his and supporting her.

'I'm so sorry,' he murmured. 'Rose,' he swallowed hard. 'If you want to go back, I'll do my best to help you. I'll-'

'I don't want to go back,' Rose said in between sobs.

'When you were talking to your mother, you… flickered,' he said, softly. 'Like you were disappearing.' He tensed as she stepped back from him slightly and looked up at him. 'I think you were trying to go back, but I stepped forward and touched your shoulder, stopped you going. I'm so sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have-'

'You knew that could happen?' Rose asked quietly. He looked away. 'You knew and you didn't tell me.'

'I wanted you to have the chance to go, but I couldn't…' he trailed off. Then his eyes snapped to hers. 'I'll help you, if you want.' He looked over at the console, moving to step away from her. 'I'll just-'

Rose's grip on him tightened. 'No.'

'Rose, you're so upset…'

'Everyone leaves home in the end,' she said, her voice hoarse from the tears.

He regarded her for a long moment, 'I mean it, Rose.'

She glared at him, then reached down and took his hand, pressing her fingers into his wrist harder than was strictly necessary.

The Doctor felt a wave of utter despair roll over him. _Rose was sobbing uncontrollably, her voice lost in the sound of the sea. Her mother was holding her, supporting her because Rose's own legs couldn't._

The Doctor gasped as Rose released his wrist. 'That was when I lost you,' Rose said softly. 'I'm not going through that again. I'm just sad, Doctor. But I'm home, and I'll be all right.'

He looked down at her, still uncertain.

Rose rolled her eyes at his expression. 'I told you I was gonna stay with you forever, yeah?' he nodded. 'I meant it, Doctor,' she said firmly.

He smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. She stood on tiptoe, stretching up to kiss him, moulding her body to his. He could taste her tears on her lips, and he twisted his fingers in her t-shirt as he drew back from her mouth, pressing kisses all over her face. 'Rose Tyler,' he whispered in between kisses, 'I love you.'


End file.
